Ever Dream?
by LovelyWrath
Summary: An assistance request from the Kazekage himself? Sakura finds herself on an extended mission in Suna. Will she be able to simply complete her mission, or will she get caught up in the lives of the Sand Siblings- her well-intentioned friend Temari, the jovial and flirtatious Kankuro, and the youngest sibling Gaara. Ongoing GaaSaku MA 18
1. Chapter 1 Mission to Suna

Suna. Sakura had always thought the name was a pretty, though she knew from her few times passing through the dessert lands that Suna was a much less forgiving climate than what she had experienced most of her life. Konoha, even during the cold seasons, always provided comfortable climates and weather, moisture, cool breezes in the summer.

Suna was a foreign place, filled with discomforts. The blazing sun could sear her skin in what seemed like mere seconds - no wonder everyone wore long sleeves and cowls to cover their heads! And when the wind did blow, it didn't seem to be a cool, soothing breeze, but an assault of millions of tiny grains of sand pelting you painfully, leaving you with a film of dust over sweaty skin. The nights were cold. Sometimes frigid! A drastic change from the daytime, at night you were forced to bundle up in layers to keep from turning into an icicle. And the wind would bite at your skin, riddled with sand, always sand.

Sakura remembered the lack of plant and animal life, unless you counted the occasional creepy looking lizard, cactus, or scavenger birds, which were never a pretty sight.

Luckily, Sakura would only have to spend a few months in Suna, then she could flee back home to sweet Kohona, and return to everything she knew and loved; family, team mates, friends.

Sakura had taken the chance to read over the information Konoha had on Suna - she figured the more she knew, the more prepared she'd be, and more importantly, the less likely she'd get caught unawares. Sakura did hate looking idiotic, and she always did her best to represent Konoha in the most professional, impressive manner. She was, after all, their second-most skilled medical ninja, aside from her mentor.

Suna's population being as low as it was, much lower than Konoha's, and with the number of skilled medical ninjas waning, Sakura seemed the only ninja qualified and available to visit Suna and assist with curing recent illnesses that plagued the citizens there. Her mission was simple enough - train new and upcoming medical ninjas on Chakra control, basic healing techniques, as well as some life-preserving emergency techniques that Suna's mednins might need. This sould solidify the alliance between Suna and Konoha further, and strengthen their teams, as Suna and Konoha were likely to be working together more and more for future missions.

Suna was a different place indeed - as it stood, rarely did a team go out on a mission accompanied by a medical ninja - there simply weren't enough ranked medical ninjas available for a mission. Due to the extreme deadly skill of Suna's ninjas, they were constantly commissioned, groups sent out on dangerous missions, most that could be considered no better than suicide missions without the assistance of a medical ninja. Of the hand-full of medical staff available, a few were unable to travel, having to remain in the village to attend to those in the hospital, and to assist in case of an attack on the village. With the devastating loss of Chiyo, the village found itself lacking a good medical trainer and mentor. It was a wonder any of their ninja survived under these circumstances, but then again, that could explain Suna's small population of only top-notch, frighteningly deadly ninjas; the weak had been thinned out by random illness or otherwise mission related deaths.

With Suna's population somehow rising just within the most recent decade, many of the medical ninjas Sakura would be seeing were very young and inexperienced.

The report Sakura had been given told that she would be training a few very young, hopeful medical ninjas, some of the best Suna had to offer in the way of Chakra control, most essential to healing. Additionally, Sakura would be assisting in the hospital alongside their few remaining experienced medical ninjas, though experienced was a term that was likely being misused here - with the loss of so many elders in recent years, the level of expertise that these medical ninjas possessed would be questionable.

Sakura was definitely the most eligible candidate for this task, despite not wanting to be involved in the slightest. Suna was even kind enough to send over a few ninjas to accompany Sakura in her journey to Suna, to meet her at the border of the Country of Wind.

Where the Fire met Wind, there was an almost abrupt change in environment, rather than gradual. Sakura felt she could stand with one foot in lush forest, the other in desert wasteland. Peering out across the desert toward her goal, she tried to imagine what about this mission she could enjoy… Temari would be pleasant occasional company, if both Temari and Sakura weren't both too terribly busy to coordinate some girl time, though Sakura didn't expect much; she'd heard Temari traveled much, acting as an ambassador of sorts. Kankuro was a tad on the perverse side, but a generally jovial guy, easy to get along with. He too was very busy with missions. Finally, there was Gaara.

The thought of Gaara sent an immediate chill down Sakura's spine. Sakura told herself that Gaara had been the result of years of emotional tumoil, a hateful environment, being preyed upon when he should have been nurtured. Gaara and Naruto weren't so different, except Gaara never reaped the benefit of a truly kind hand, a caring elder, a happy childhood. She recalled the almost instant change in Gaara when Chiyo granted him a second life. That ultimate sacrifice combined with the retrieval efforts of both the hidden leaf and Suna seemed to immediately change something in Gaara, something for the better. Gaara, having turned all of his thoughts and efforts to protecting and uplifting his village, had become a most celebrated, admired, yet feared Kazecage.

Sakura's worries subsided as the horizon afforded her a breathtaking view of Suna. Sakura took a moment to admire that grand introduction, hoping this mission would accomplish much for the people of Suna and the relationship with their villages.


	2. Chapter 2 Honored Guest

Honored Guest

Sakura Suna in the late afternoon, wrapped in a protective robe and hood, courtesy of her escorts, lest she be torched by the blazing sun. The borrowed article of clothing served to protect her from more than just a sunburn, as it also helped her to appear as just another ninja returning with her party from a mission, when otherwise she would have stuck out like a sore thumb with her porcelain skin, sleeveless top, and short skirt. However, she found herself grateful that the clothing beneath her robe was minimal, as the heat was proving to be more than she had bargained for. She should have expected as much, travelling to Sunagakure in the late summer season.

The offices of the Kazekage overlooked the village from the back - a grand stone path snaked through the of the village, winding around buildings and affording her an abstructed view of her destination from the front gate of Suna. A few villagers could be seen from the streets, all remaining in the shade of awnings and porches, as Sakura made her way through with her two escorts. Not much attention was paid to the three as they moved through the village of sand and stone.

As they passed through what Sakura assumed was the entry courtyard (due to the benches, pillars, and what appeared to be a tiered fountain, though no water flowed through it), she thought she spied movement at the balcony above; a single masculine figure retreating to the confines of the balcony doorway, and into the shadows, with a sweep of dark red fabric. Sakura didn't have the energy to wonder on the matter.

A burst of cool air blew Sakura's hood back as the main doors were flung open for the returning ninja. Sakura simply sighed at the immediate relief from the stifling heat, and allowed herself a moment to breathe, moving her arms in such a way to allow cool air to flow in through the wide sleeves of her robe. It took a moment for Sakura's vision to adjust to the sudden change in lighting, so she could take in the appearance of the hall, lined with large ceramic vases, intricately painted with reds, golds, and black. The hall, with its dark, shining walls and its polished stone floors, was a startling contrast to the world outside.

A woman stood at the center of the hall, a particularly slender woman with dark braids tied back with a red head scarf, doubly secured by a bandana, proudly bearing the symbol of Sunagakure. Sakura slid her arms free of her robe sleeves, brushing the garment back over her shoulders to hang secured at the neck, leaving her own village symbol to view, secured at her waist, near her kunai.

Sakuras spread her arms slightly, palms upward and open, and inclined her head gently in the direction of the woman, who regarded her for a long moment with what resembled borderling contempt before finally mustering a partial attempt at a smile and greeted Sakura, "I see you are from Konoha, then. They only sent one?" She glanced at the escorts who nodded, backing away from Sakura, who was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. Luckily Sakura had become quite a master of chakra reading, and though the woman Sakura stood across from was tense, she didn't seem to be preparing for any sort of attack; she simple stood a long moment, regarding Sakura, and Sakura observing her.

Finally, the woman sighed, moving closer to Sakura with fluid grace and extending a hand toward Sakura, "I am Katsya. I've just returned.. you are?" The woman had many scars on her face, some more recent; scars on scars. Despite this, the woman still maintained a sort of rugged beauty, thick dark eyelashes framing eyes like clouded emeralds.

Sakura smiled, feeling dingy and unpretty from her trip. She smoothed down her hair with one hand in a vain attempt to calm her frizzed, windblown mess of hair, and reached out with the other hand to grasp Katsya's in greeting, "Sakura. Haruno."

Immediate recognition. "You're Lady Tsunade's Sakura? The Sakura Haruno? I've heard of you and your previous deeds for Suna, the Kazekage and his family. Well met!" Katsya gave Sakura's hand a generous squeeze, smiling genuinely, looking Sakura over approvingly; Katsuya seemed a tomboy, and likely didn't even notice the layers of dust that had collected on Sakura's usually immaculate skin. Katsya then glanced around, looking to the escorts, "You'll guide her directly to the Kazekage, and inform the advisors of her arrival..." Then back to Sakura, "Thank you for coming. I am grateful and relieved to know that someone of your reputation is here to aide Suna once again. Konoha really is our great ally."

Sakura nodded gently, while Katsya seemed to meld into the shadows of the room; Sakura couldn't tell what exit the woman had used, but by her chakra, could tell she had headed out Eastward. Everything was happening so fast, and before she knew it, she was briskly jogging through winding corridors and stairwells at pace with her two escorts, until finally she met a hall with large red double doors, where a few older men stood around, whispering amongst themselves and affording Sakura the occasional sidelong glance. This hall, lined with pillars and smaller doors, had no chairs or tables, and simply seemed serve as a hall to connect about nine offices, including the one those massive double doors led to, doors with an elaborately painted Sunagakure symbol right in the center; it was logical that this could be the Kazekage's office, which made Sakura nervous. The thought of meeting Gaara caused her pulse to race.

One of Sakura's escorts met a man standing closest to the doors, and both men slipped into the next room. The other occupants of the room seemed to disperse, leaving Sakura with her one remaining escort, who stood close at her side, silently. Moments later, the double doors flung open, by will of the men who had entered, and the Sakura slumped in relief at the familiar face that greeted her.

"Sakura! It has been far too long!" Temari seemed to skip across the hall, arms extended welcomingly to Sakura, who laughed softly, taking a step back.

"I'm not so sure you want a hug from me, dear. I'm a bit dusty from my nonstop adventure.." Sakura seemed diminished, and Temari frowned, easing forward and resting a hand lighltly on Sakura's shoulder, then sliding her hand down to touch the exposed skin of Sakura's arm. The cool touch made Sakura shiver involuntarily.

"You look exausted! Have you been offered anything to drink since you've arrived? Your skin's still so hot... maybe you should have a sit." Temari carried on the conversation alone, that inquisitive hand sliding down to grip Sakura's wrist and tug her toward the open double doors. Temari sounded agitated, staring down one of Sakura's escorts in passing, "You and your partner are dismissed. Good job on the mission. Next time be sure to keep our guest more hydrated... our allies are not used to this heat. Dismissed, report in the morning." And so they did, great doors swung quietly shut, locking with an echoing click.

Sakura found herself in a room lined with windows, all curtains closed, though she could see the light of the orange sunset peeking through in places. The room was perhaps slightly larger than Tsunade's office, and elaborately decorated, riddled with small pillars serving as platforms for various vases and artifacts. Temari led an exhausted Sakura to a plush couch, where the pink-haired woman was easily enticed to sit. a tall glass of cool, clear water found its way into her hands, and without even thinking about it, she began to drink from the glass, thankful for the cool, refreshing liquid.

Temari sat next to Sakura, patting her back, "You'll need an entire day to rest after that 's not so bad for those of us who live in the desert. You'll be surprised at how quickly you can get used to it here, though." Sakura didn't believe Temari for as second; as far a Sakura was concerned, a the desert was hell.

"You will stay in our home, in the west wing. I think it'd be appropriate enough, being that you are an honored guest of Suna." Temari mused, "I cleaned one of the rooms up for you, new sheets on the bed and everything."

Sakura sat up strait, tilting her head at Temari's proposal, "I couldn't stay in your house.. that would be too imposing! It wouldn't feel right.." Kankuro and Gaara live there too! How awkward!

Temari shook her head, steadfast in her decision, "I'm afraid you don't understand, Sakura. You are an honored guest! You are a dear friend to me, and we consider you like family! We'd have it no other way."

Sakura noticed how Temari continually used the words we, nervousness creeping up on the pinkette.

"It sounds like you've already discussed this with your brothers.." Sakura repsonded.

"Oh, yes. And we won't take no for an answer, particularly Gaara." Temari grinned, and Sakura was positive she felt herself die a little bit on the inside. "Besides, you wouldn't want to turn down such an offer from the Kazekage. That'd be borderline disrespectful, ungrateful. Not very good for relations at all." Temari was smiling in a most friendly manner as she seemed to have Sakura in the ideal little trap.

As Sakura contemplated this, little did she know Temari was about to checkmate Sakura on the subject.

"You understand that this is an offer directly from the Kazekage? Isn't that right, little brother?" Temari grinned.

Sakura's head seemed to throb, and she felt as though every hair on her body stood on end as Temari sealed the deal by alerting Sakura to a third presence in the room. Only then did Sakura notice the lone figure at the far end of the room, one highly easily recognizeable red-headed man, standing strait, arms crossed across his chest, observing Sakura intently.

"Indeed." Came the simple, emotionless response from the person that Sakura once considered the source of all nightmares.

The world seemed to almost spin as Sakura forced herself to her feet, almost flinging that poor, near-emptied glass of water to the floor. Luckily for Sakura, Temari's cat-like reflexes saved the dish from Sakura's panic and an untimely fate.

"K-K-Kazekage!" Sakura forced, every muscle in her body sore and tense, "I am so sorry, I didn't even know you were here! Please forgive the disrespect." Sakura stumbled all over her words like a child with her hand stuck in the cookie jar.

Temari couldn't help but stand at Sakura's side, helpless, but grinning. Her friend's presence there afforded the Leaf villager no comfort whatsoever in the presence of Gaara of the Sand Waterfall, Kazekage of Suna.

The man stepped forward slowly, his expression stern, nearly void of emotion, looking Sakura over once, twice. His features were sharp, the dark circles around his eyes having diminished none since the last Sakura saw him, though his hair had grown out a bit, partially concealing the kanji on the man's forehead. He had matured drastically over the course of a few years. A deep red robe concealed his body; Sakura had a momentary flashback of a slash of color against the balcony she had seen moments earlier; he had very likely been watching her since her very arrival in Suna.

The thought of being watched, and even scrutinized at that very moment, made her blush red in embarassment; she knew she didn't look her best, and it was all she could do to stand up strait, and hope that he didn't noticed her weather worn body, wind-blown hair that was a few days in the works, dirty clothing, and her own tired eyes. Sakura almost felt like crying in that moment, it was almost too much to handle, even for her.

Then something unexpected happened, something Sakura never intended, and surely would have avoided had she known the impact it would have on her. Eyes that were like tuquoise melted and swirled into the bluest sea locked in a gaze with hers, searching, probing, questioning, and his features seemed to soften the slightest degree, Sakura stifled a gasp, shaken to her very core, rendered speechless and paralyzed.

As soon as it happened, it ended, as Gaara tore his eyes from hers and turned to walk back towards his desk, "You will stay in the West wing, in the room Temari has prepared. You are allotted a day's rest." He paused, as if to think a moment, "You will require different attire, plenty of water will be kept in your room, and I expect that when you move around the city, you take some with you. Your health is of great importance, so take good care of yourself during your stay.." Another pause, as the man turned, and seemed to look directly through Sakura this time, eyes empty, "After your full day of rest, no sooner, you will meet with our head medical advisor at our hospital. You will go from there, working with the advisor, who will also introduce you to our medical teams and students. You understand?" His lack of certain human qualities sent chills down Sakura's spine.

"Yes, Kazekage!" Sakura somehow managed to respond, finding her throat nearly completely dry despite having just had a drink. She felt as though she'd sounded like a frog.

"Good." Gaara turned his attention to his sister, "Temari, I expect that you will show her to her room and arrange for clothing, food, and whatever other necessities she requires to help her settle. Report to me first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir." Temari grinned like a cheshire cat.

"Good." Gaara turned his attentions to the massive pile of paperwork at the edge of his desk, moving around to the other side. He would watch for the two women to exit before taking his seat.

Monumental relief washed over Sakura the moment she exited the Kazekage's office. She knew that this mission would not be a piece of cake the moment Tsunade laid the information on her the previous week. Now Sakura was positive that this would likely be one of the most difficult and stressful missions compared to the ones she'd taken so far. She looked forward to rest, but wondered how well she would be able to under the circumstances. Sleeping well in a strange bed in a strange location was not one of Sakura's skills.


	3. Chapter 3 Sand Blossom

Sand Blossom

Gaara had gone through many things in his short life. He had been outcasted as a child, rejected for years and subjected to emotional abuse by his family and villagers. Such turmoil molded him into the psychotic killing machine that he was for many years; a chaotic, murderous child born of fear and hatred, but mostly misunderstanding.

What bittersweet satisfaction he obtained from violent actions temporarily satiated him. He survived it by filling the void within him with terrifying acts of vicious, merciless destruction. What horrifying mistakes to have to live with for the rest of your life.

Despite it all, Naruto had appeared, a light to Gaara's darkness. Gaara wagered his path of destruction had guided him to a level beyond Naruto, that true strength was drawn from hate rather than the love of family, friends, a life that Naruto posessed. It truly wasn't the fact that Naruto had defeated Gaara that changed the red-head's mind, at least not completely.

Naruto was the kind of person who strived to better himself, who loved his teammates, his village, his life. Naruto was also the kind of person who would reach out to anyone who needed him, fight as they might. He was the person that could draw out the best in just about anyone, the kind of person who was a natural born hero, and the kind of person written about in legendary tales. It was when Naruto reached out to Gaara, welcoming and helping him as though Gaara were his very own brother or dearest friend, when moments before Gaara had made an attempt on Naruto's life. That was when Gaara could finally see.

This was the person to be! This was the key to filling the void within himself, when before Gaara had assumed that his strength was his insatiable appetite for blood and destruction. In the end, he learned that his greatest strength was an even greater weakness.

Gaara could see then that Naruto would evolve to eventually become a man written about in history and literature for the following generations to learn from. He would profoundly influence and shape the ideals of his people and future of his village. At that moment, Gaara broke away and moved toward a greater future, desperately wanting to achieve the same for the sake of his own village.

These were the things that Gaara often pondered over when he wasn't neck deep in paperwork, or in the middle of a bickering gaggle of advisors. At night, Gaara would often sit upon his balcony, or even take to the rooftops where he could sit in solitude and think on the decisions he needed to make, and wonder about the future of his village.

On this particular evening, Gaara did just that. This night afforded him a cool, comfortable climate to enjoy, and a clear sky. It was tonight that Gaara found the rooftop a relaxing place to be, and he stretched out on his back to enjoy the view of the heavens. His thoughts would inevitably drift to the one foreign aspect of his day; Sakura.

This visit was important in that Konoha had generously offered to share some of their medical expertise with his village. What Konoha had to teach Suna was necessary if Suna planned on growing and becoming more stable. The next generation of ninja would need the stability, a safe and healthy environment to learn and grow, and medical treatment would need to be more than readily available to them. Being a ninja was not a safe profession, and Suna's future would partially depend on what Konoha brought to the table.

Sakura's image came to his mind. To question her loyalties would be absurd, because as far as Gaara could recall, she had always stood firmly next to Naruto, representing her village in the best possible light. Even as a yuong girl, she hadn't hesitated to put herself in harm's way to protect her team mates; Gaara remembered well, since he had been the threat at hand. Gaara remembered, almost fondly, that she, too, had been there as part of the Konoha 11, and had assisted Naruto in his desperate plight against the Akatsuki. Sakura had come to his aide when Gaara needed it most. She was there! Naruto had been one of the first to reach out and touch Gaara, and Sakura had done much the same, with healing hands, a strong chakra flowing from herself into Gaara. Sakura had bonded quickly with Chiyo, and he remembered the tears the pink-haired girl had shed when that special woman was so quickly gone away.

This woman, Sakura, child of Konoha, had fought alongside Chiyo, beloved elder of Suna, in those final days. Naruto trusted Sakura, as did Chiyo. And most recently, Sakura had come to Suna, with the highest reccomendations from Tsunade, and though Gaara didn't know all there was to know about Sakura's history, he had seen enough to know Konoha didn't regard Suna's request for assistance lightly.

It wasn't too late in the evening, when Gaara was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of double-doors below opening. The balcony in question wrapped partially around the third level of his home, and connected with three entrances; the west wing hall, his bedroom, and the guest room that apparently Sakura had been placed in. He sat up slowly, carefully drawing his knees up toward him as he peered down at the Konoha woman.

She crept out onto the balcony, glancing around before leaning against the railing with a sigh. Gaara watched in silence as she gazed across the cityscape, the city lit up with the night business.

"I wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew." Sakura mused, folding her arms on the railing, inhaling the cool night air.

He looked her over; she was slender, toned, and fit. She wore a black tank top and baggy drawstring pants that were dark in color; he recognized them as some of Temari's, and surmised that Temari's temporary solution to the clothing situation was simply to let Sakura borrow some of her own. Her hair was damp, skin glistening from a recent shower.

Both Gaara and Sakura were startled by the clashing sound of barrels being knocked over at the first level. Sakura tensed and leaned over the railing and spied a pair of teenagers, a boy and girl, horsing around. The girl giggled, batting at her over zealous male companion, before the two of them stumbled around the building, arm in arm. Sakura sighed again, reminded of her own lack of companionship, and her posture seemed to droop. Gaara noticed this, curious himself over the girl's thoughts.

"Just what I need.. a little bit of depression to top off everything else." She rubbed her forehead, then brushed her fingers back through that unkempt mass of pink hair, which barely reached her shoulders in length.

"Gaara!" Sakura almost fell over the rail as Kankuro thundered into the vicinity of Gaara's room. Only then did she notice another set of balcony doors had been left open, crimson curtains swaying outward with the gentle breezes. Soon enough, Kankuro would pop his head through the doors, looking both ways, then noticing Sakura, he scrunched up his nose, "Oh!" Kankuro stopped mid-step to assess the situation further. "I didn't expect to find you out here, Sakura." He glanced back into Gaara's bedroom, then slouched, "Well that's strange. Where's Gaara? He never leaves his door open when he's not here.."

Sakura could feel her throat going dry again, and the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Gaara was here, and she couldn't believe she'd missed his shifts in chakra. She could blame it on the strange environment, or on being weak from a recent journey, but the truth was, she simply hadn't paid enough attention. What had made her feel so safe, she couldn't say.

Gaara slid from the edge of the roof, landing gracefully on his feet between Sakura and Kankuro, who grinned a cheshire grin, "Oh, hey, bro." Kankuro glanced between the two, "I didn't know it was a party. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, I.." Gaara slid nearer Kankuro, obscuring his brother's view of Sakura; Gaara could almost feel the girl's discomfort.

"What is it, Kankuro?" Gaara spoke up, finally, cutting off Kankuro's musings that were beginning to get a little more than unnerving.

And there Sakura stood, slack jawed and unsure of how to react to the entire situation, though Kankuro's expressions bordered accusational, and made her seriously wish she could crawl underneath something and hide for a few weeks.

"There's dinner downstairs, if you're interested." Kankuro nodded, "Sakura can come, too..." Kankuro leaned to one side in an attempt to get a better look at the blushing Konoha girl.

"I was just coming to let her know." Temari said, having somehow shown up in the doorway to Sakura's room. Sakura would later admit to herself that Temari must be some kind of savior, indeed. Temari instinctively grabbed Sakura's arm and tugged her back into the sanctity of the guest room, "Come on, girl. You need a jacket out in the cool, anyhow. Let's get you dressed so we can get you fed."

Sakura nodded to Temari, looking almost as though she'd burst into tears at any moment. Sakura worried over the whole scenario. Had Gaara been there the entire time? Had he watched her? Did he hear her talk to herself? Did that make her look crazy? How did this reflect on her.. and Konoha?

Sakura stole one last look at Gaara, whoo, surprisingly, had turned to regard Sakura's hasty exit over his shoulder. A deep furrow had formed at the center of his brow area, and though his eyes were dark, obscured, it was obvious that his gaze had focused on her.

Temari closed the glass doors, locking them and drawing the curtains to close the room from prying eyes. Only when she was satistifed with the results did Temari turn to regard Sakura, who stood with a hand resting over her own chest, as though she were having trouble breathing.

"What was that all about..?" Temari moved past Sakura to sit on the bed, and Sakura reached for her brush, settling near the vanity to comb out her tangles. "I mean, you looked like you'd just been bitten." Temari paused, "And Gaara looked like he'd been doing the biting!" She couldn't help herself, and burst into almost boyish laughter.

Sakura's jaw dropped again, "That's not funny at all! What are you talking about?" She desperately defended herself, "I didn't even know he was there until you guys came along! I was just getting some fresh air."

"Right, right. But perhaps you should be careful alone around Gaara. Esspecially when you look like that." Temari motioned at Sakura's attire.

"What are you talking about now? I look like crap." Sakura hmphed.

"Oh, I beg to differ. I'm surprised something didn't happen. Kankuro might have even climbed over Gaara to get at you if you'd stayed out there."

Sakura turned to give herself the once over in the mirror. The tank top she'd borrowed stopped just above her navel, conforming to her every slight curve. She'd barely noticed herself that she'd developed more over the recent years, but the low cut of the top did a good job of reminding. Her bare shoulders were toned, blemishless. The pants, though baggy, dipped very low on her hips and hugged her thighs. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her head. She moved to grab a shirt and better fitting pants.

"Point taken." Sakura mumbled, Temari beamed.

"On the other hand, I doubt Kankuro would have gotten past Gaara to get near you." The blonde girl giggled and Sakura couldn't resist the urge to launch a random pillow at the girl. "I'm kidding! I've never seen Gaara take an interest in a woman! You're probably safe after all!"

They would head downstairs as soon as Sakura dressed and pulled her hair up into a cute bun.


	4. Chapter 4 Not The Same

Dinner was fantastic. Someone had recently taken the time to barbeque some chicken over an open flame, as well as toss a nice fresh salad. There were boiled beans and herbal smashed potatos. For dessert there was sweet bread, slices of apples and pineapples. The kitchen smelled wonderful.

Sakura stood in the doorway and watched as Temari set the table and arranged the food there. Kankuro watched eagerly from his seat while Gaara finished stirring the pitcher of tea at Temari's request and tasted from the spoon to be sure it was right. Gaara brought the tea to the table and seated himself. Sakura thought silently that she'd never imagined the guy could do such a normal, everyday thing. Her previous memories of him had been violent or confusing; she never did know quite what to think when she learned he'd been made Kazekage.

"Well, come on, Sakura. Have a seat! Dinner's going to get cold.." Temari stated as she set the table for a fourth person.

They were unusual people, Sakura admitted. As much as she loved Temari, Kankuro was perverse and a little creepy, which was tolerable. Gaara was still more than a bit unnerving. Despite that, they did look like a family, and Sakura felt very out of place

Temari had found her way over to Sakura, and began nudging her over toward the table.

"Here, this is your seat. Make yourself at home, no need to be nervous." Temari continued until Sakura sat down between Kankuro and Gaara. Kankuro even reached over to push her chair in behind her, grinning broadly, "Welcome," he said_. We're all mad here_, Sakura thought that would have been an appropriate followup.

The table was a small, round, but ornate in that it was hand carved around the edges. Sakura would never have given a second thought to sitting close at a table with any of the Konoha 11 or her mentors. But the sand siblings were a different story entirely.

"There! Isn't this great! I'm so glad to have another female in the house!" Temari settled across from Sakura and lifted a bowl of beans, serving herself before passing the bowl to Kankuro, who followed suit. Temari smiled vividly over at Sakura, "You'll love the food. Kankuro actually roasted the meat for us. I tossed the salad and made the vegetables. The market had fresh things this evening, new vendors came in. I couldn't help myself.." Temari continued to explain the meal, describing some special herbs she'd gotten for vegetables and how womanly she felt to have such a fabulous meal on the table.

Sakura intercepted a bowl from Kankuro, spooning herself a small portion of beans, then hesitating before handing the bowl off to Gaara, who seemed to refuse to look directly at her, unlike before. Sakura wondered if he was as uncomfortable as her, but quickly disregarded that thought, somehow believing that nervousness wasn't something that Gaara was capable of.

The bowl of potatos found its way into Sakura's hands, and she allowed herself a bit more of one of her favorite vegetables, which smelled wonderful. She passed off the bowl of potatos, glancing to Gaara again, who seemed most interested in his plate, his brow area still creased at the center.

Idly Sakura wondered if he was annoyed at her presence. She felt as though she'd invaded his personal space somehow more than once already, on the balcony, and now here at his dinner table. Sakura felt a blush creeping up on her cheeks as the cool bowl of salad landed in her hands. She looked to Kankuro, who already somehow had a mouthfull of food. Temari swatted him with a napkin, "Have some manners! We DO have a guest, Kankuro!" She huffed.

"No, no. It's okay. Please be natural." Sakura couldn't help but grin at Kankuro, who had his arms up in a defensive position against Temari. He swallowed his food and grinned again, "I can't help it! I'm a growing boy. I'm starved!" He joked. Temari scowled. Gaara didn't react whatsoever, and Sakura felt like slumping far down into her chair.

She allowed herself to take some of the salad, which thankfully had a variety of vegetables. Sakura loved a good green salad, and was relieved to find that it wasn't impossible to obtain such a thing in Suna.

"It's a gorgeous evening." Temari noted, distracting Sakura from her thoughts a moment. "If you're feeling up to taking a stroll around Suna, you should feel welcome to, Sakura. It's more lively during the first half of the evening. It's just better for the merchants at night, too. Anything outdoor related doesn't generally go on during the sunlit hours- too hot." Temari nodded.

Kankuro had stood and taken to slicing the chicken apart at the center of the table. He prodded at the roasted bird with a fork and offered Temari some dark meat, which she accepted with delight. He served himself a slice of dark meat and settled back into his chair with a grimace, reaching for his left thigh and rubbing his hand across it with a hiss, which immediately alerted Sakura.

"Are you injured..?" Sakura leaned over, naturally inquisitive about anything that she might be able to assist with. Healing jutsu was not just her specialty, it had become one of the things she loved about life.

Kankuro shook his head, "Oh, I pulled a muscle or something while on a mission a few days ago,. It always gets more sore before it gets better, though. I'll probably not even feel it in a few days and be good as new."

Sakura shook her head, "I'd like to take a look at it after we eat, if that's okay." She smiled. "I'll bet we can have that feeling good as new by the morning."

"You don't have to do anything like that, Sakura. It's just a muscle." Kankuro smiled, enjoying the attention, and the idea of more of it. But he was not used to a healer being so readily available, and it somehow seemed like he'd be taking advantage of Sakura if he said yes.

"Oh, please. It's nothing at all, I'm sure. Besides, you've invited me into your home. Let me help as I can. Please?" Sakura turned on the charm, Kankuro relented.

"Thank you, Sakura! It's going to be just wonderful with you around, I know it!" Temari beamed.

Sakura suddenly felt watched, and a sudden shift in the chakra to her left became apparent. She felt her skin tingle as she blushed once again upon realizing she'd been holding the salad bowl the whole time. She turned her head gently to glance over at Gaara, and just as she thought, he'd been staring directly at her. His arms extended as he reached for the salad bowl, bearing an expression Sakura didn't fully understand, though she felt it leaned towards anger. Was he angry over the salad bowl being held up? That would be absurd, right?

Sakura swallowed nothingness quietly and offered Gaara the bowl of salad. He accepted it, eyes locking with her own, pools of strange shades of blue, depths that one could easily drown in. She felt warm fingers brush her own as the bowl was taken from her, and it felt as though his fingertips tugged her toward him almost purposefully. His expression again seemed to morph into something Sakura didn't understand for a split second before he inclined his head and broke the gaze abruptly.

Sakura retracted her hands and clasped them together tightly in her lap, beneath the table and out of view. Gaara served himself salad with tongs. Kankuro had taken to shovelling food into his mouth, but had paused, while Temari sat glancing between Sakura and Gaara, having bitten a slice of chicken in half and forgotten to chew; it seemed everyone noticed the awkward exchanges between Sakura and the Kazekage.

Temari wasn't the ambassador for Suna for no reason; her uncanny ability to deal with difficult social situations made her the ideal candidate. Her reaction was normal for someone of her position.

"Oh, Sakura!" She exclaimed, "You must try the dark meat! It's succulent!"

"My mistake. I forgot to serve you." Kankuro snapped into action in an attempt to assist his sister in making the situation less tense. However, his attempt failed as he reached for the serving utensil and missed. Gaara's reflex had beaten the puppeteer's out, as the redheaded male snapped the serving fork away from Kankuro's reach. Kankuro immediately yielded to Gaara and settled back into his seat and stared across the table, wide-eyed in response to the abrupt interruption from his brother.

Gaara stabbed at the meat and served himself a generous slice of white meat chicken. Sakura continued to sit very still, while Temari raised a brow in question toward her brother, Gaara.

Three out of four dinner attendees would agree, the next move was most unexpected.

Gaara paused, then served a slice of dark meat onto Sakura's plate, followed by a slice of white meat, which was his preferred. He settled the fork back onto the platter and looked to Sakura, who seemed lost.

Gaara began to separate the cut of chicken on his own plate, "I prefer the light meat." He stated simply.

Is that small talk? Sakura couldn't help but wonder. Feeling it best to turn her attention to Gaara and play along, she responded, "Mine, too." She wasn't lying, actually. She reached for the light meat and took a bite, settling down a bit with the flavorful food.

"Oh, wow. That is good." Sakura hadn't realized how hungry she was, and she began working away at the provided meal. Temari beamed over and Kankuro, who smiled back. They looked to Gaara, who nodded his approval, and continued with his own meal.

The rest of the meal went with little incident. Sakura tried to clear her own plates from the table, but Temari would have none of it, and shoved her out of the kitchen and into the sitting room, where Kankuro had settled on one very large, plush sofa. He propped up his leg and settled back with a sigh of relief.

Sakura found herself hovering over Kankuro like a mother hen, and Kankuro stared up at Sakura with a smirk, "I guess you're here for my check-up, huh Nurse?" He joked, always a jovial man.

"But of course! This won't hurt a bit, I promise" Sakura laughed lightly as Kankuro moved to roll up his baggy pant leg and expose the area just above his knee. There was a bruise, Sakura could tell, a terrible swelling black and purple bruise that looked much like Kankuro had collided with someone's bat. Without questioning his earlier explanation, Sakura placed both hands over the wound and closed her eyes. Kankuro tensed for a moment, then waited for what he assumed was the inevitable pain that doctors never are truly honest about. However, much to his surprise, there wasn't pain, but warmth, and relief. The bruise was almost unnoticeable when Sakura removed her hands and settled against the armrest of the sofa with a smile, "See! I told you it wouldn't hurt a bit!"

Kankuro inspected his leg, running his hand across the previously bruised area in awe. "You're something else, you know that? I'm impressed." He concluded.

"You're easily impressed. I'm second only to Tsunade, you know." Sakura nodded, "Let me know if you get any more _pulled muscles_." She emphasized the last part, knowing full well his injury was from some sort of combat. If he'd been proud of it, he would have been more honest about it. Either way, the damage was healed and Sakura felt fantastic to have been of some help to the hospitable sand siblings already.

The clanking and clattering noises from the kitchen were indication that Temari continually cleaned the dinnertime mess, and even Gaara had evacuated from the offending room. He stood just inside the sitting room, observing the interchanges between Kankuro and Sakura, and somehow feeling increasingly displeased with the entire situation.

Kankuro didn't have the social inhibitions that Gaara did. Somehow, this time it seemed to matter a little bit more whether or not Gaara could hold the attention of this particular woman. Gaara felt himself become annoyed with the ease that Kankuro communicated with Sakura, and the happiness they seemed to experience from the interchanges. Gaara sipped at his tea silently as he watched Sakura slide her hands across Kankuro's thigh, and that familiar light of flowing chakra seemed to illuminate her features. Gaara remembered that from an encounter with her before, those healing hands, that warm tingling, those concerned eyes. He felt what he knew to be a tinge of jealousy, as he remembered it from childhood.

This felt slightly different, however, and he couldn't quite precisely place the feeling. All he knew was that Sakura had been in his house for not even a single day and nothing was the same, and that he did not enjoy watching her interactions alone with Kankuro.


	5. Chapter 5 Special Delivery

_Oh, will it ever end?_ Sakura thought to herself as she rubbed her own scalp in hopes of relieving the stress migraine she could feel coming on. There were disorganized piles of paperwork regarding orders from merchants, payment requests, research projects, and personal patient files all mixed into one monumental chaotic pile, which would take Sakura weeks to organize, and that was being optimistic.

Sakura sighed settling back into the office chair - apparently the hospital had been without an overall director for quite some time, and in the absence of a replacement, the work had been split between a few so-called experienced medical ninjas. They should have been more than capable of keeping the records and office strait between the three of them. Having met the fellows upon arrival at the hospital, she discovered why they had failed at their tasks - they were very young, inexperienced, and competitive over trivial things, while neglecting the important matters, such as ordering in basic necessities, vaccines, poison anecdotes and healing herbs.

The health of the patients being top of her list, Sakura spent a great deal of her first day on the job moving throughout the facility, visiting patients individually, researching, examining, changing treatments, and in many cases she found herself completely re-diagnosing problems altogether. All the while, she kept her scarce supply of medical staff in tow, teaching them new tricks, showing them proper level one methods for poison removal, demanding organization and stricter practices in cleanliness. By sunset, every staff member would likely despise their new found friend from Konoha, while many patients would show immediate improvements. Two patients had even gotten to go home much earlier than anticipated, as Sakura was easily able to completely extract the poison they had been generously gifted during their last mission.

At the end of the day, there was still much do do, and though the staff shifts had changed, Sakura was dead-set on seeing her tasks completely through, even if it meant losing out on some sleep. She settled on refiling patient files and adding anecdote notations to the medical treatment files, in case anyone needed to access them while she wasn't around. Though Suna's databases were slightly outdated, Sakura was impressed with some of the information and progressive treatments Chiyo had written on. Sakura found herself wondering what it would have been like to be mentored over the course of a few years by Chiyo. It wasn't that Tsunade wasn't the best of the best, but Chiyo had discovered some methods and treatments that would even help the Konoha improve their knowledge base and efficiency. It didn't take long at all for Sakura to notice what Chiyo had a hand in.

"Rest easy, dear Lady Chiyo." Sakura settled a stack of research papers in a neatly ordered little pile in the corner of the desk of her new office, and settled back with a sigh, turning to peer out the window at the afternoon sun. Suna truly was a beautiful place, despite the heat. Sakura was grateful to find that the thick-walled buildings were so efficient at keeping cool on the interior- particularly on the middle and lower levels. Sakura yawned softly and stretched, allowing her eyes to close, for just a moment.

The soft breeze ushered in cool night air, which filled the room from the nearby open window. Sakura felt a tickle on her cheek, and she reached up to brush away a stray strand of pink hair. Her eyes fluttered open to discover a darkened room, and a sunless western window.

"Ugh... I can't believe I fell asleep. How improper.." Sakura recalled how Naruto napped at inappropriate times, and frowned as she forced herself to sit up, where she finally stretched and peered at her desk of organized paperwork. She reached out for a pen and labeled a few folders, shoving each stack of paperwork into the corresponding file, and stacking the folders neatly, until her desk was almost entirely clean. Only then did she smile, feeling accomplished.

It had been her first real day of work, and it had been a long one. Despite the obstacles of disorganization, Sakura had managed to get a ton of work done, many patients properly diagnosed and treated, and many files of paperwork organized. Each Mednin that Sakura had encountered had been given a new list of responsibilities, and if they stayed on top of their tasks as Sakura planned to ensure, the hospital would be fully functional in a matter of days. In fact, given a few weeks, Sakura could promise that Suna's hospital would be second in class only to Konoha's, assuming Suna's medical ninjas were ready and willing to absorb the material Sakura had to offer.

"I take it you've completed your work." Came the cheerful voice from the doorway.

Sakura smiled in the direction of Kankuro as she stood, brushing off her skirt. "My work is never complete, you know. It's the nature of my job."

"Isn't that the truth? And for many of us." Kankuro moved across the room and leaned against a tall cabinet, crossing his arms and looking over the neatly organized paperwork. "It looks like you've gotten things under control here already... I'm sure Gaara will expect a report of your business here."

Though she tried to avoid it, Sakura's smile faltered. "I've thought about it. There's much to report.. though it will be weeks before this place functions at an appropriate pace. It'll take hard work and dedication from the staff, as well as a new system with some expansion of the knowledge base." She nodded sagely.

Kankuro shook his head, "We expect as much, but we know you're more than capable of helping us pull this together, Sakura." He moved nearer the window, peering out into the night, "There are few questions of your presence here, Sakura. There will always be a few skeptics, but we've seen and heard of your abilities. You helped save Gaara, and we're all so grateful. You truly owe us nothing, Konoha owes us nothing, and yet here you are, the top medical ninja of Konoha, right here in Suna. You bring our people hope. You need to know it."

Sakura couldn't help but blush at all the flattering talk of bringing hope and saving the Kazekage. "Oh... thank you. I would do whatever I can for Suna. You are our allies. We need to be unified, for the people of Konoha and for Suna."

Kankuro laughed, moving toward Sakura to take one of her hands, giving it a gentle squeeze, "It's not the ninja way to simply trust a ninja from another village. However, I think our bonds are deeper than just some written alliance between Suna and Konoha. We wouldn't be where we are if not for you." Kankuro released her hand, and the smiled at each other a moment.

"Thank you," Sakura continually blushed, happy to feel so welcome and needed in this foreign village.

"Temari has prepared some grilled dried fish and noodles for us to enjoy. Also, we've acquired fresh fruit and bread from the merchants. I imagine you've been working nonstop and could use the nourishment." Kankuro moved fluidly toward the door, "We shouldn't keep her waiting with the food. You're finished for the evening, right?"

Sakura nodded and followed along with Kankuro, taking one last glance back into her office, where she'd knew she'd likely be spending the next few weeks. She couldn't help but feel at home there already. She closed the door with a gentle nod, and soon followed Kankuro home through the brightly lit streets of Suna.

"What do you think?" Temari leaned over Sakura, who seemed to be enjoying a mouthfull of grilled fish, though the previously dried variety, still a treat. Sakura managed to swallow her food, and immediately took another bit with a deep "Mmmmmmm." to appease the hostess.

Satisfied, Temari sat back in her seat to enjoy the remainder of her own mean, glancing to Kankuro, who retained a lopsided grin as he too enjoyed a mouth full of food. He thought to himself how nice it was that Temari was in the mood to host and impress company. It surely meant at least one delicious meal per day as long as Temari wasn't sent out on a diplomatic mission. He lifted his glass and took a generous gulp of the liquid it contained before sighing happily.

Sakura couldn't help but notice the absence of Gaara. They'd been there for half an hour already with no sigh of the red-headed male. Not that Sakura cared to complain, though she did feel slightly guilty partaking of what should also be the Kazekage's meal when he wasn't around to enjoy it himself.

"What's on your mind, Sakura?" Temari nibbled at some sliced fruit, ever the observant one.

"Oh," Sakura turned her gaze to the window," I was thinking of what a lovely and mild evening it is... when it was so hot earlier!" She offered what she thought was a convincing answer.

"Yes. The weather will also be nice tomorrow, from what I'm told." Temari tilted her head toward Sakura, watching for a reaction from the Konoha girl, "Unfortunately, it seems the nicer the weather, the more work Gaara seems to do."

Sakura tried not to feel completely transparent before the gaze of two of the sand siblings as she finished her meal. "That's too bad... did you have someone take him a serving of dinner?"

Temari's expression brightened as her spirits seemed to lift. She smiled sweetly over at Sakura, "What a fantastic idea, Sakura! You should take him a plate! You'll be needing to report to him your observations and actions in the hospital, anyhow." Temari batted her eyes, though they had a very wicked sparkle about them. It was completely warranted, considering the intense stares she had winessed Gaara giving Sakura during their previous meal together. "He's been alone in his office just adjacent to his room all day." Temari had already grabbed a plate and began to fill it with what she knew to be food corresponding to Gaara's tastes.

Kankuro hid behind his glass as he shoved more fish into his mouth and avoided looking directly at Sakura, who suddenly felt trapped in the situation. The puppet ninja would be absolutely no help in this matter.

Sakura didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth, closed it again, then nodded slowly. Deliver a meal to the Kazekage? It seemed a more personal task than she'd ever expect to endure regarding Gaara. Having dinner with the siblings was one thing; taking Gaara a fresh plate of food to his private office was something else entirely.

Before she knew it, Sakura was standing at the doors to the Kazekage's office with a covered plate of fish and fresh fruit. Temari had even given Sakura a cool glass of sweet cactus juice to deliver. Sakura felt very out of place staring up at ornate crimson and black double doors - their in-home back entrance to the Kazekage's office on the upper floor.

Where Sakura felt the need to flee, she forced herself to knock thrice upon the heavy doors, careful to balance the tray of food without spilling, though her insides seemed to shake.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sakura quietly awaited a response, her heart weakly beating.


	6. Chapter 6 No Escape

[ Salutations! I know I JUST updated this story, but after a cliffhanger like that, I felt I owed my few loyal readers a bit something more. As promised, I've been diligently at work to complete this fanfiction. Ta-da! Here is your next heartfelt chapter, written mainly from the perspective of Gaara. I know at least the fangirls will be happy. =d Enjoy!

- Lovely Wrath ]

Darkness consumed his surroundings, as Gaara had neglected to move from his seat at his desk, deep in thought, silently reflecting upon the daily events regarding his village, relations with surrounding territories, reports from scouts and ninjas returning from missions. There'd been continuous concern over the Akatsuki amongst the civilians and ranked ninjas alike, and Gaara always managed to catch wind of such gossip and ponderings. After Deidra's attack and the successful extraction of Gaara from the village, and the one-tailed demon from within Gaara, many of Suna's citizens feared more attacks, though Gaara knew the primary objective all along was the demon he once housed in his own body. It wasn't common knowledge that the demon had been extracted from Gaara; such information had been kept a guarded secret among Gaara's siblings, a select few of the elders of Suna, and some of Naruto's team members.

Gaara, though glad that his village suffered little damage in the attack, sometimes wondered over how he would continue to ensure the safety of his people. Despite retaining his strength and ability to manipulate the sands, he wasn't sure what true purpose the Akatsuki had in mind when collecting his demon. However, for the first time in his life, Gaara's thoughts were his own, uninterrupted and nor manipulated by a second voice.

His thoughts did wander to Sakura Haruno - he'd read her file provided by Konoha, little more detailed than Suna's file on the girl. Konoha had, of course, neglected to include her weaknesses in the file that listed Sakura's credentials and the expectations of her own Hokage of her during her visit. Gaara admired her drive to better herself in such a short space of time, from that impulsive and emotional girl he once encountered many years ago, into the strikingly confident, intelligent, and strong woman he'd just barely gotten to know. There was no doubt in his mind that most of her influences came from Naruto, who had more drive and ambition than anyone Gaara had ever met. Tsunade, Sakura's mentor, was a more than capable Hokage with knowledge and talents to pass along to Sakura that would make the pink-haired girl a most valuable ninja in the village, one in a generation to pass down major responsibilities to. Konoha had some kind of knack for honing the talents of their children, molding them into healthy leaders. Sakura was definitely a prime example of this, and as far as Gaara could see, the girl... no, woman, had her heart in the right place, just as Naruto did. He could trust Sakura. Fully.

Gaara found himself wondering if Suna would someday flourish as Konoha had. It was true, Gaara had seen a very slight increase in childbirths in Suna, as well as an increase in new applicants to the ninja academy in his village, but it wasn't enough for him to feel secure in the future of his village. Thinking of children was once something that made Gaara feel uncomfortable, but somewhere along the way that all changed.

He noticed the change in himself when he witnessed the subtle, yet intimate exchanges between Konoha's Shikamaru and his own sister, Temari during a recent visit. Judging by the increased rate of letters between the two, Gaara felt that anytime he should be expecting some sort of bid on Temari's hand. He wasn't sure the protocol to expect, since a marriage between a ninja from Konoha and one from Suna had never occurred before. It could come from Tsunade in the form of a formal request, or his own sister could approach him with a request. This was all to be expected as their relationship progressed, so Gaara had already begun to mentally prepare himself for the potential loss of his sister, one of the more talented ninjas of Suna, as well as the other ensuing ramifications ... objectionable advisors, and an empty diplomatic seat. Temari's cooking certainly had rapidly improved over the course of the last year, as had her maintenance of the household, all while completing her missions without missing a step. Gaara couldn't help but feel things were escelating.

Kankuro was another story, entirely. The puppet weilding ninja was Gaara's to-go man for missions that required a less-than-delicate touch. Whenever Gaara needed information. Kankuro would know just where to go to retrieve it. Kankuro was also a ladies man, attending each festival with a different lady at his arm almost every time. The idea of Kankuro simply procreating without any serious, lasting commitment seemed the likely occurrence. Gaara knew for a fact Kankuro's interests were confined to Suna women, so he wouldn't have to worry. Besides, as Suna's tradition, the wife always relocated to suit the husband. Kankuro wouldn't be going anywhere.

Gaara had noticed Kankuro's gentler treatment of Sakura. It seemed as though Kankuro suddenly developed tact and conformed to higher standards of etiquette around Sakura. Suna's Kazekage couldn't help but wonder if there was something he'd missed between the two of them. If Kankuro and Sakura's relationship were to develop into something more serious than a casual, flirty friendship, Gaara expected to know about it immediately, being that Sakura belonged to Konoha. Gaara nodded gently at his own thoughts, deciding that at some point in the near future he would have to address this issue with Kankuro.

As he settled back into his cushioned desk chair, Gaara began again to feel something he didn't understand entirely, but had decided that it was loneliness, a most human emotion that was to be expected, particularly since he was alone with himself, without Shukaku within him. This was an occasional problem he generally distracted himself from by filling his time with paperwork, or meandering around the village at night. Tonight, however, the emptiness around him felt different. False, as though something lingered around the corner that he couldn't quite grasp, something he didn't fully understand. He could curse his lack of experience at coping with loneliness in a way that didn't involve activating the now absent Shukaku's blood thirst.

Thrice came the gentle knocking upon Gaara's office door, pulling him from his rambling thoughts. He straitened in his seat, staring in the direction of the door with disdain for a long moment. This was the door that connected his office to his home, but it couldn't be Temari or Kankuro on the other side, because they would have simply knocked once and barged in on him, as usual. His next guess was Sakura, and for some reason, his first instinct was to slip out onto the balcony and hop to the rooftop, where he could escape an encounter with someone who was likely easily developing a romance with his brother. Despite his confusing yet curious desire to avoid Sakura, he finally called out, "Enter!"

She'd almost turned to walk away, the long silence after her knock was rather misleading. She could have sworn nobody was in the office, it was so silent, and there didn't seem to be any light whatsoever penetrating the tiny gaps between the doors. Proven wrong about her initial conclusion, Sakura couldn't help but wonder if Gaara had waited to respond because he didn't actually want any disturbances at this point in time. Despite that, Sakura forced herself forward, putting weight upon that doorknob, leaning against the massive, heavy door, which slowly opened for her. As she leaned in, tray of food in careful balance, she tried to peer around the room, and greeted only by darkness, one slender eyebrow shot upward curiously.

Greeted only by darkness and silence, Sakura sighed, "Good... evening, Kazekage.. It's Sakura Haruno. I've come to report to you, and also to bring the food Temari prepared for you... and." She paused, barely able to make out the shape of the sofa directly next to her in the thick, pitch blackness, "Pardon me, but I'm confused. It's very dark in here. Are you ill?" Sakura felt insecure about herself, and considered herself rude to be questioning the Kazekage directly upon entering the room. However, it was in her nature to immediately desire to look after the health and wellbeing of those around her.

Gaara took a moment to examine the situation carefully. It was indeed Sakura, the outline of her curves, her evident silhouette projected from the dim lights on the other side of the doorway. He looked her over as he could from his position, while he could take advantage of her inability to see him. His thoughts returned to that of her lingering close to Kankuro, laughing easily, comfortable in his presense Gaara couldn't help but feel a strong pang of jealousy at how easily people like Kankuro and Sakura could develop deeper connections. Composing himself, he decided that the darkness was no device that he could use as a wall to conceal himself and his expressions from her. He stood, moving to turn on a nearby floor lamp.

As the single light lit the room, Sakura blinked to adjust her sight, then glanced around the room. It was a large room, with many chairs and a few plush sofas, and one very large desk at the very center of it all, piled with paperwork, yet tidy. Crimson curtains at every window seemed to sway with the gentle breezes from outside that pushed inward, begging to enter. The balcony doors were shut. The room was warm, almost stifling, Sakura decided silently. Had he truly been in here like this all day? Surely it had been warmer in here during the day.

Her gaze returned to Gaara, who had been watching her the entire time, his face expressionless, what she assumed to be default for him. "I am not ill." His voice was low, husky. His hair was wild as always, reaching in whatever direction it pleased, unkempt. His Kazekage robes were unwrinkled, folded closely about him. His wide, clouded gaze was more intense than Sakura could cope with.

She felt a blush creeping upon her neck, and turned her gaze elsewhere. She saw her opportunity to relieve herself of the weight of his dinner tray, and moved slowly toward his desk. Slow, calculated steps would save her from tripping over her own feet, but would likely expose her nervousness. It couldn't be helped, really. "Would you like your dinner at your desk, then?"

Gaara nodded, "That will be fine." His movements were parallel to hers. He reached his desk just as she settled the tray there. She bit her lip, leaning in to arrange the silverware to the appropriate side of his plate, as well as that weeping glass of cactus juice. Gaara couldn't help but notice her careful arrangement. When did she realize he was left handed, he wondered. This was a small, but pleasant surprise. He wondered at why she made the effort to rearrange things to better suit him. He continued to watch her. Was it fear? Was it respect driving her behavior?

She stood, lifting her gaze to intercept his. "If you'd prefer, I could allow you to enjoy your meal, and report to you later." Sakura's eyes seemed to search him.

Sakura did wonder at Gaara's reason for sitting in the dark room previously. She did wonder at his health, even his mental state. He was, after all, human. Somewhat. Her memories of previous encounters with him pegged him as sadistic, then curious, then diminished. Knowing that Gaara had endured much as the cell to cage a tailed beast, Sakura wondered if he truly was okay.

"I will hear your report now. Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable." Gaara managed to seat himself, motioning toward a nearby chair for Sakura. She moved quickly, and sat promptly. Gaara nodded in her direction, prompting the Leaf ninja to begin her report.

Well. Where to begin? "Patients have been my priority. Thus, I have personally visited each patient currently checked in. There were a total of 18, two are children. With the help of the current staff, we have re-diagnosed some, and treated all of them. Four patients have been released with antibiotics for a stomach virus. The two children, ages three and six, have been retained with the virus. They still have fevers and have been quarantined. Their recoveries can be observed and ensured under careful watch." Sakura went on to explain the severity of a few ninjas' injuries. She already seemed well versed in the personal medical histories of some of her patients. Sakura was a very dedicated medical ninja, to a degree Gaara had only just begun to understand. " They will require at least two months of recovery time, and likely some therapy to help stimulate damaged nerves. None of your active ninjas have any damage whatsoever to their chakra networks... this is a blessing, truly." Sakura finally seemed to take a breath, and Gaara's jaw seemed slack at the sudden barrage of information. Still, he nodded.

"Go on, please. Tell me how our facility measures up to your personal standards." Gaara settled back into his seat. He reached for a slice of melon, which he looked over before slipping it into his mouth to enjoy while listening to the report. Encouraged by Gaara's seeming comfort in her presence, Sakura continued.

"Ah. There was some disorganization regarding responsibilities among the ranks of staff, but this has been corrected already. With your permission, I will begin to reorganize the patient filing system to make cross-referencing the knowledge base simpler. Efficiency will be key in emergency situations, and training the staff to become more accustomed to their list of duties and how to access information and add new information to files will be essential. Also, it will make it easier for remaining staff to hold down the fort in the event that you need to send any of your hospital staff medical ninjas to the field - I realize you have few to send. Over all, this should be a very smooth operating facility in a matter of weeks. Possibly in less time than that." Sakura smiled, rocking in her seat with excitement. The girl really loved her work, to the core of her being. Nothing seemed to delight her more than to make people healthy, to lessen their pain, ensure their safety. There was no doubt in Gaara's mind that Sakura had a heart of pure gold.

"I've allowed you full access to Chiyo's personal medical files." Gaara somewhat lied, as he knew there were files locked in the administrative office directly behind him, filled with paperwork on research for forbidden and not fully understood jutsus. Still, they'd never located the files on resurrection. It was very likely that Chiyo had never written it down. Chiyo took many secrets with her when she left their world. "If you find anything particularly interested or encrypted, I'd like to know before anyone else." There was likely information hidden in files, codes. Sakura would very well at some point stumble upon information that could threaten the security of Suna had it been anyone but one of their close allies perusing the files, and Gaara knew this to be. He trusted Sakura fully, though he had little choice. It would take someone with experience and deep understanding of the texts and terminology to spot some hidden items.

"Of course." She'd never dreamt of releasing privileged information to anyone but the Kazekage. Sakura watched Gaara enjoy a mere slice of fruit, then cease consuming his meal. She took a few moments to conjure up the courage to push the conversation in another, more personal direction. "I have to ask.. how are you doing, Kazekage? Are you sleeping well?" She began to wring her hands together nervously.

"Gaara." He countered, "You may address me in the same way as you do my siblings. With my given name." He stared across at her as he finally reached for another slice of melon, as if to somehow quell some of her curiosities, "Why would you ask about my personal health, anyhow?" He was taken aback by her sudden interest in him, though he wasn't completely opposed to the idea of it.

"I.. well." Sakura's blush returned to light up her cheeks, "Having worked so closely with Tsunade, I understand the stress related to your position of leadership and authority. As it was my way to look after my Hokage, I feel somewhat driven to be sure that you..." She paused, considering her words carefully "... that you, Gaara, have everything you need to retain your energy and to remain healthy, to continue your service to Suna."

Gaara couldn't help but allow the corners of his mouth to turn upward. He hadn't exactly expected it, but the caring nature built into her effected her interaction with even him, Gaara. Some kind of half smile from Gaara catapulted Sakura's explanation, "That is to say, I am experienced in herbal remedies for sleep and relaxation. Teas have become a specialty of mine in my free time, also, and I've found that many things I am used to acquiring in Konoha are easily accessible here." Gaara brought her explanation to a halt by raising his hand before him.

"I am well, Sakura. Be sure of it. If this changes, I will be sure to seek you out." Gaara offered.

Sakura blinked a few times, then smiled vividly at him, an action that seemed to touch Gaara deeply, "Thank you, Kazek... Gaara. It certainly makes me feel more at home to know that I may also be of help to you." She shifted in her seat, turning to look in the direction of thick swaying curtains that seemed to beckon her nearer. "It's a bit stuffy in here, Gaara... wouldn't you like some fresh air?" He inclined his head, and her peripheral vision picked up the movement. She stood, slipping nearer the tall windows. She began to pull aside the heavy curtains and secure them in place. In that moment, Gaara really took in her appearance, where he felt that he'd only glanced at her during their entire conversation. The way those silken strands of pink fell nearly to her shoulders now enticed him, left free to tangle in the breeze that swept into the room as she tightened the curtain ties. Gaara again found himself admiring Sakura's slender, yet athletic build. Even he couldn't ignore her belted waist, or the curve of her hip where the slits in her skirt split to reveal conforming leggings. The muscles in Sakuras long, toned legs flexed slightly as she lifted herself to her toes to pull at where the curtain rings were tangled upon the rod above, where she was prevented from pulling the curtains open fully. Gaara admitted to himself that Sakura was absolutely an attractive woman. She wore clothing suited to Konoha, clothing that fit well showed more skin rather than affording her protection from the sun. It was no wonder that the lovely Sakura would turn heads in a land unaccustomed to her attire. Gaara licked the remaining melon juice from his lips, feeling very baited by her very presence.

Unaware of eyes upon her, Sakura had allowed her guard to completely drop. After all, where in Suna would be safer than the Kazekage's office? She never felt his gaze raking down her back, taking in her every movement, no, she never had a clue that he'd noticed her difficulty with one ornery curtain in particular. She never knew he'd moved from his seat in her direction. She hadn't a clue that he was standing right behind her, until his hand rested atop the both of hers on the curtain rod, bringing her struggle with the offending fixture to a complete halt. He removed her hands gently and held them in midair as he freed the tangled silver loops with his free hand.

Sakura's hands were cool, small within his grasp, and she didn't pull away, which Gaara wasn't accustomed to - in all of his experiences, people generally cowered and avoided coming in direct physical contact with him. Even Temari hadn't been innocent of that crime as a teenager. The skin of another, in tact and un-fleeing, was something completely foreign.

Once the curtains were separated, he looked to her, releasing her hands reluctantly. Something within him felt the sudden urge to somehow trap her there.

She lowered her hands and folded them together carefully in front of her. Truthfully, it wasn't fear that had frozen her in place for the seconds they had remained in contact. The sudden shock of hos presense had bolted her feet in place, surprise that he'd willingly come into such close proximity with her. His touch sent bolts through her body, such a startlingly gentle touch from someone she'd once felt most violent blows from as a child.

The silence grew stronger as the moment stretched on. His gaze seemed to search her for something that not even he fully understood, as she turned to fully face him. The sensible side of her expected him to turn and walk away, having fixed the curtain. Her eyes questioned him. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. Why wouldn't the words come forth? What exactly could she say at a moment like this? Moments like these weren't built for words, and Sakura knew this all too well. The heat resonated from his body, and she seemed to absorb it. Worst of all, she could smell him. Some sage fragrance mixed with his own mascluine scent made her want to lean into him, to slide her arms around him and bury her face into the crook of his neck. Her thoughts were spinning, carrying her away.

Something felt very natural to Gaara about the way she lingered there, so close to him. It sparked his interest in a way he couldn't begin to justify in words. She would simply have to watch as his hand slid down from the curtain rod to rest against the frame of the window, and he seemed to hover over her. Sakura's lips felt suddenly dry, and without her permission, her tongue darted out to moisten them. She would observe as his gaze lowered from hers to watch the way her tongue slipped across her lips just before she pursed them. This was some sort of trap, and neither party knew truly how to extract themselves from the situation.

Gaara had witnessed it dozens of times while sitting on the rooftops - young couples embraced in the night, lips engaged in some sort of battle. He did wonder what that was like, and became instantly curious about the taste of Sakura's lips in particular. Her magnetism drew him in slowly, as if every inch he closed between them were a test for her. Would she run from him? He would surely find out now.

She felt him moving closer, and made no attempt to move away. This was a Gaara! Her brain screamed this fact at her, but none of the sensible things seemed to matter. Gaara, someone she'd never seen in an affectionate light, someone Temari, his own sister, had never seen show interest in a woman, was suddenly showing a clear and extreme interest in Sakura. There was no mistake about his intention to kiss her. His lips parted, and as she felt her eyelids begin to close, she could smell the sweet melon upon his breath, and it was deliciously inviting.

There was no escape.

[Haha. Cliff Hangers. Now a specialty of mine.]


	7. Chapter 7 Step Back

[Please Read and Review to motivate me to continue writing! :) I'm actually working on a lot of fiction right now, but I'm driven to complete this one because I have so many ideas and I'm really loving how it's going! I hope you do too.

Thanks for reading

-LovelyWrath]

Sakura's breath hitched in her throat and her heart pounded. A million thoughts raced through her head all at once, making her feel unsteady. Above all, she was alone with Gaara, whom she was mostly sure that she trusted, but this situation... it was something entirely unexpected, completely irrational, overwhelming her senses and her rationality. Danger, but not life-threatening, something new. Another kind of danger entirely, frighteningly delicious. Her eyes drifted shut and she internally braced herself.

Gaara leaned in close, and she could feel the heat resonating from his body. He watched her expressions change, and realized that she seemed like a bird what would take flight given the chance. He didn't relish the thought of her slipping away from him, leaping out the window or through the door, and running away, and because of his actions. It made his chest hurt. This foreign sensation wasn't enjoyable. She began to appear more and more like a wild bird to him- he would only build cage for her. But to what end? Gaara, knowing the broken state of his own soul, could only offer such a beautiful creature trouble and pain.

While Sakura's thoughts were a fog, driving her to inaction, frozen before him, supreme guilt attacked Gaara, blindsiding him. There were many words to describe the actions of a brother who makes a move on his sibling's prospective prize- betrayal was at the top of that list of words. With this thought, Gaara carefully extracted himself from the situation, beginning by tearing his gaze from her face.

Mere seconds seemed like an eternity to Sakura, until she felt him move away, and opened her eyes to observe his expression as it changed. He shifted then turned his body to face the window, his arms falling to his sides. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes and leaning toward the window.

The creases that formed upon his forehead confirmed the sudden troubles that had invaded his world. His muscles tensed throughout his body, and she felt his chakra shift as it began to reach, search, and investigate.

Sakura's throat felt dry, but she finally mustered words, "What's going on..?" She tried, but she couldn't sense anything particularly close to them that could be considered a threat. However, long distance detection wasn't her specialty, and she certainly wouldn't be reliable with her body still alarmed by his previous behavior. Goosebumps rose from her skin, and she folded her arms to warm herself, shivering.

Gaara grit his teeth and exhaled through them in a hiss, looking pained. He grasped the frame of the building opening tightly and inhaled again. Sakura tensed in response, growing more alert and confused, and ready for anything unrelated to whatever just happened between them.

"The sands are shifting... I need to check the perimeter of the city. You are dismissed." He stepped out into the night and was engulfed in a swirl of sand in an instant. Sakura felt the air shift and a fresh breeze caressed her skin. She shivered again.

Dismissed? For whatever reason, it caused a pang in her heart. What an awkward situation, all around. "What was that all about," she quietly asked herself as she turned to face the lonely room. Her thoughts were jumbled, going in all directions.

When her legs would allow it, she moved to his desk, where the barely touched tray of food still waited. She unfolded the cloth napkin that Temari'd sent with the food and carefully covered the dishes as best she could. She made her way out of the room and closed the door gently behind her before making the awkward trek back downstairs, where she'd pretend nothing happened before a not-so-convinced Temari, who would write it off as the general fluster that Gaara caused most people.

The cool nights were always a relief to Suna, when the days were so deathly hot, dry, and unbearable. Gaara always found the sands to be most calming, and on a night with a clear sky, he could lay on the roof for hours and listen to the stirring sands as the night winds made movement over the desert.

But it wasn't the rooftop that Gaara occupied this evening, but a cliff side overlooking Suna as a whole. He sat precariously on the edge, with his legs danging over the air below, without concern that he'd fall to his death- that was an impossibility. This desert was his. The sands were his. This land could not harm him.

He peered out over the city, _his _city. Lights flickered in windows, lanterns hung from various vendor establishments and over main streets. The streets were quite populated after dusk, unlike during midday when many preferred to remain out of the sun and indoors during the high heat seasons. He could hear music in the distance, from a popular venue where people flocked at night for food cooked over an open flame, choice beverages. There were people laughing and dancing- _his_ people.

This was all familiar to Gaara. Suna, the sands, and the passing of time. Gaara grasped a palm full of sand and tossed it out over the emptiness, watched as the wind caught the granules and carried them away. The desert night relieved him from paperwork, faces, and harsh daily routines. The desert kept him sane when the memories flooded in.

There was a time when he didn't look at his home this way, with care. Many of the times before he woke up and began to value his village and his own life he wished he didn't remember. Attacking everyone, looking for a real challenge, looking for a path better than his own- the mangled destructive creed of his childhood and adolescence. He'd trampled many lives during that wild stage of his life, and even Sakura had been a witness to that chaos.

Even so, like Naruto, Sakura was able to put aside the past and believe in the good in someone so destructive. Gaara remembered vividly the day he awoke to the pink-haired beauty as she healed him. It was her duty, her order, however, it was intimate, he could tell. He remembered Chiyo once mentioning that deep wounds and invasive procedures were difficult enough to heal, but were less successfully overcome if the healer had to battle their own emotions while doing the job. So a really great healer would not only be well-trained and knowledgeable, not only be strong and capable, but also be able to look at someone and truly care for their well-being, even if it meant putting aside old emotions and forgiving the patient.

Forgiveness wasn't something Gaara allowed himself. As far as he was concerned, there was only remorse and good deeds as repentance for his shortcomings.

Sakura was hard not to think about at this time, when he had been so close to her. Gaara wasn't often in close contact with anyone besides Temari and Kankuro. He'd never sat at an informal dinner with anyone else. His history of physical contact was always during combat, never for pleasure.

He remembered the first time he'd touched Naruto after his outlook on life had been changed. When he shook Naruto's hand that sorrowful day outside of Suna, he was enlightened further by human contact.

Gaara held his hand up to inspect it in the moonlight. That same hand that had first confirmed Gaara's friendship with Naruto had reached out for Sakura. He could still remember from that brief encounter, exactly what her skin felt like. It was inviting. Gaara allowed himself to agree that Sakura was indeed a rare beauty, and very much exotic to Suna. Perhaps that had been part of why he'd been so curious of her. His attention wasn't meant to be threatening, and while Sakura hadn't defended herself from him or taken flight, Gaara was sure he'd frightened her by his actions. Actions driven by curiosity, and attraction. It was absolutely no good for the Kazekage not to be in complete control of his own actions.

That will not do, he told himself. He rose to his feet, assuring himself that from now on, he would avoid further issues of this type, even it it meant avoiding Konoha's pink-haired beauty. He leaned forward, allowed himself to slip from the edge of the cliff and fall several feet before sand enveloped him and moved him toward his destination-home.


	8. Chapter 8 Routines Pass the Time

[Several chapters in the making. Thanks for reviewing! -LovelyWrath]

CRASH!

Sakura barely flinched at the sound that made everyone in the vicinity nearly leap from within their skins, save for the unconscious patients, that is. A young medic nin in training apologized with a small voice as she knelt down and gathered the various operating utensils back onto the metal tray that had slipped from her grasp moments before.

Sakura hovered over an operating table, where one of Suna's younger ninjas laid unconscious, knocked out by an anesthesia to keep him from squirming while Sakura repaired the damage to his arm. Her main concern was being sure that the torn muscles and ligaments were set down the path to properly heal, so that this close-ranged specialized ninja would not see problems from this battle wound in the future. Sakura sighed as she ran a glowing palm across the length of his upper arm, from shoulder to elbow, then back again, admiring her own handiwork.

She supposed he could call this a battle wound, but it wasn't an outsider who'd caused him such an injury. During a training exercise, his 3-man team was training in information extraction. His team's duty was to extract a scroll from within the fourth floor of a building on the outskirts of Suna, in an area set aside for sparring and other training activities. While this particular ninja moved in to extract the item, he discovered a harsh trap that he expected to hit him from below- when the trap was truly rigged upside-down.

His miscalculation of the trap earned him an unkind journey to the bottom floor of the building, and as he created his own doorway through each floor, his arm was nearly torn from his body. It was no surprise to Sakura to hear that his descent had nearly destroyed the building entirely, and that had his final landing place been a mere foot to one side, his team would have had to dig his body out from beneath a collapsed building.

Sakura knew that Suna didn't flourish as Konoha had been known to. Suna was extremely lucky to see 3 students enter their training academy for every two years that passed. To top it off, Suna's training was known to be particularly harsh, as the village kept a strict quality over quantity rule about its ninjas. It wasn't completely uncommon for a ninja to die during their training routines. In fact, according to the records that Sakura had read, the last training death had occurred a mere two years ago, and that Suna averaged a training death every 3-4 years.

Sakura stood over the young patient, an undeniably handsome young man who she'd already heard through the grapevine was prone to showing off for the ladies, particularly one he'd been teamed up with. She shook her head, but couldn't help but feel the smile tugging at the corners of her lips- she'd seen situations like his before. He'd survive. He'd fight again, and soon, and for a long time if he took his lessons to heart.

Sakura turned to watch the understudy medical ninja as she re-sterilized the utensils that had recently visited the floor. Nodding in approval, Sakura turned to leave the room, "I'm checking out. Please inform the staff that if an emergency arises not to hesitate to seek me out."

"Yes ma'am!" The understudy exclaimed nervously. Many of the staff members of the hospital were nervous of the pink-haired Konoha girl. She outranked everyone in the hospital, and Temari had made it known that Sakura was to be respected and obeyed by the facility workers, or else. Additionally, word of not only Sakura's healing skills had reached Suna, but her massive strength and sometimes temper was also widespread knowledge. Her reputation preceded her, and for the most part it made it very easy for Sakura to get things done her way at the hospital.

The sun was already setting. Sakura stood outside the hospital and took a deep breath, bidding the daylight adieu, even though it was the first she'd seen of it all day. Having arrived at the hospital before dawn, Sakura busied herself with paperwork, then made several rounds and checked on each patient individually. According to the nurses, there had never been a faster turnaround for patients since Sakura began overseeing everything. Patients came and went, and healed faster thanks to Sakura's knowledgeable treatments. It felt so natural to Sakura, caring for others. What also came natural was her ability to completely neglect her own care.

This fact became evident as Sakura's stomach growled and cramped.

She realized that she'd been working nonstop since before dawn, and hadn't stopped for more than a bathroom break. Her muscles ached with every move she took, and as she began the journey to the home of the sand siblings, her thoughts wandered to the strange and elusive Gaara.

It had been almost two weeks since their awkward encounter in his home office. For several days after, Sakura couldn't keep the incident out of her head. She couldn't wrap her brain around what had happened, or what had almost happened. Finally, she wrote it off as a misunderstanding and buried herself in her work, keeping her mind busy with anything other than red hair and mint green eyes.

But the image was always there when the work was done. It was there when she showered, ate, and when she rested her head upon her pillow, up until sleep consumed her.

She hadn't seen him since that night. She wasn't called upon for a report, though she'd kept careful notes of all of the important happenings at the hospital, as well as her findings while searching and organizing files. Temari had inquired a few times about whether Sakura had made a report, but all Sakura could say was that Gaara was never in his office when she went by every few days. Temari'd responded that that was odd, since Gaara rarely left his offices during the day, but left it at that. Kankuro had shifted uncomfortably and avoided that subject.

Matter of factly, Kankuro had been by the hospital almost daily to check in on Sakura. He often brought food, and delivered any relevant messages from the offices of the Kazekage. Sakura smiled at the thought, that Kankuro was being such a good friend in checking up on her. It occurred to her that Temari likely had something to do with it. Why else would Kankuro have food delivered when he couldn't make it on his own. Sakura's smile faded as she recalled one of the understudy nurses commenting on how romantic, albeit out of normal character it was of Kankuro to ensure that Sakura ate a decent meal each day.

It was definitely more along the lines of something Temari would take it upon herself to do. Temari was always busy, though. Sometimes Sakura would see her in passing, but more often than not, Temari was busy and away from the house, at the offices of the Kazekage, dealing with advisors, or out on an ambassadorial visit or mission. She took work very seriously.

Sakura realized that she would have to continue missing Temari as she entered the house. It was dark and quiet. Sakura couldn't sense any presence, so she made her way in, locked the door behind her, and removed her sandals and the over-shirt that Temari had sent her- it was hooded to protect from the sun, but Sakura much preferred just the tank-top beneath. She found herself alone in the kitchen, and helped herself to a roll and some cactus juice. After finding herself a cozy place to sit in the living room, she picked at the role until it was gone, and sipped cactus juice until the last rays of sunlight were gone from the windows and the room was completely dark. Sakura sighed, unwilling to move from the surprisingly soft and comfortable sofa. She pulled her feet up under herself and cuddled a pillow before dozing off.


	9. Chapter 9 Late Night Encounters

[Big Chapter, enjoy!]

Sakura was roused from her sleep at the sound of the front entry door opening, then closing gently. A ring of keys jingled as they were dropped into a pocket. Shuffling occurred as someone removed their shoes, and a bag rustled as it was shifted from one hand to the other.

Sakura yawned and sat up as a the light that illuminated the kitchen flooded into the living room. She quietly stretched, listening to the inhabitant of the kitchen as they emptied the paper bag of its contents onto the counter. Sakura slid her legs over the edge of the sofa and placed her bare feed on the hard floor, and felt granules of sand slide between the balls of her feet and the floor. The movement in the kitchen completely ceased, and there was a pause that indicated to Sakura that she'd been detected.

"Good evening." She said softly. It was easy now for her to sense that Gaara had been the one who entered the house. Besides, she could feel the stray granules of sand shift at his presence.

"So you're here. And you're awake." Gaara stated the obvious, continuing about his business in the kitchen. Sakura could hear a cabinet open, and a plate was placed on the counter.

Sakura blushed. It wasn't her intention to fall asleep on the sofa. "I am here.. and I'm somewhat awake." She glanced out the window, to see that the moon had shifted out of sight. "Is it very late..?"

"It is well past midnight." There was another pause. "Are you hungry?"

Sakura felt her stomach clench, having already absorbed that roll. It wasn't nearly enough to satiate her, but she felt too awkward to impose. "Ah, no. I'm just fine." She felt those granules of sand shift, and she pulled her feet back onto the sofa, tucking them beneath her.

In the kitchen, another cabinet opened, and another dish was placed upon the counter. She could hear utensils being retrieved, food being dispersed from to-go packaging, and worst of all, she could smell the delicious stir-fry he'd brought home with him. It made her stomach emit an embarrassingly loud growl.

Moments later, Gaara came through the kitchen doorway holding two deep bowls. He moved over to the couch and held one over her- she had no choice but to take it as he hovered over her. Sakura held the warm bowl and inhaled the stir-fry, and her stomach betrayed her again with another horrendous growl that made Sakura flinch.

Gaara smirked, sitting himself at the opposite end of the sofa. "I knew you were hungry." It wasn't a lie- Gaara dealt with formality every day of his life. He asked questions he knew the answer to, and thanked people he didn't want to thank.

Sakura blushed deeply, almost too embarrassed to eat- almost. "I didn't want to impose.." She was delighted that the utensil was already in the bowl, and helped herself to a heaping spoonful of stir-fry. There was a medley of meat, carrots, and cabbage.

They sat in silence and enjoyed the meal, illuminated by only the light from the kitchen nearby. She glanced over at him, taking in the outline of his features as he ate.

"You've been working really late." She said, finally, unable to take the silence.

"So have you." Was his response. It made her a little nervous as she realized that he was likely quite aware of her whereabouts most of the time. She shifted to lean against the arm of the sofa, and stretched her legs a bit, but drew them back as she realized she may be invading his side of the sofa.

"Yeah.. there's always a lot to do at the hospital, and I'm very useful there." She shrugged gently, continuing her end of the conversation nervously, "It's easy to get lost in it all and before I know it, it's almost a new day."

Gaara nodded. He was familiar with a never ending workload. There were times were he had to sneak out of the office just to get away from it. It wasn't so much that the work was overwhelming- for him it was tiring to hear advisers bicker over ridiculous things, or try to push their own agendas under the guise of making the city a better place.

He found himself looking at her again. The light from the kitchen door behind him made her features visible, but softly. She finished off the stir-fry and rice and licked her lips before sighing contently. She smiled, "Thank you for dinner... I didn't realize how much I needed it."

He nodded again, his eyes shifting from her lovely smile, following the lines of her jaw, neck, and collarbone. He found himself admiring her soft curve and pale skin. She wasn't just some girl from Konoha- she was a breathtaking beauty with the power to heal by touch. A base thought invaded, and he wondered how she might go about healing someone like him with those hands, that soft skin, and those perfect lips that she kept licking. He felt something stir in the base of his stomach, and it prompted him to move to stand suddenly. He grew a bit angry with himself for getting distracted, and getting caught in a moment with the lovely Konoha medic when he'd previously assured himself that he'd keep his distance.

Sakura was surprised by his sudden movements. He reached out for her empty bowl without a word, and she handed it to him, silently questioning for a moment whether it was appropriate for her to let him serve her food and take her dirty dishes. His hand brushed hers, and it surprised her, but made him falter, hesitate in his movement. Sakura noticed, and he knew it. He could only make an escape into the kitchen to deposit the dishes into the sink.

The truth was that he knew he'd be like this around her. A few days after he cornered her in his home office, he'd assigned Kankuro to watch over Sakura, to deliver to and collect information from her as needed. It was like hitting two birds with one stone- he could give Kankuro every opportunity with Sakura while, and at the same time Gaara could eliminate the need to cross paths with Sakura most of the time. However, after not seeing the pink-haired beauty for over a week, she was on his mind more than ever, and he found himself feeling ill every time Kankuro arrived to give a grinning, gleaming report. Kankuro seemed to enjoy Sakura's company immensely, but Gaara couldn't detect anything deeper happening between them. He;d even witnessed some of their interactions from a distance, and wondered how Kankuro managed not to get a damn thing done. Even Temari had never hinted that anything happened between their sibling and Sakura, and Temari would have a hell of a time keeping her mouth shut about something like that. Gaara sighed as he washed the two bowls.

He finished the cleaning job, turned off the water and dried his hands on a kitchen towel. He sensed that Sakura was no longer in the living room, and for a moment he assumed that she'd gone upstairs to bed. But he felt her movements in the sand.

However, Sakura had made her own little unexpected escape. She'd pushed aside some nearby curtains to reveal the sliding door onto the back patio. Outside, the cool night air made her feel more relaxed. She stepped off of the brick patio and into a small sand dune, sunk her feet and toes into the cool sand, and sat down.

He stood in the doorway and watched her quietly. She ran her fingers along the top of the sand before taking a handful of it and allowing it to fall through her fingers to the ground again. It was an action that made Gaara shiver.

Hyper sensitive to the sands surrounding the house, he always kept a perimeter. He could tell when someone visited, and when someone left. He could tell who was moving within the house and their location. What he didn't expect was to be able to feel her to such an extent as she touched the desert sands around his home.

She stretched her legs out to feel the cool sand against her calves and thighs. It was an amazing feeling, almost therapeutic, she admitted to herself as she ran her fingers through the sand. It didn't take much for Gaara to struggle with his breathing. From his position, he could see her waist, hips, and her bare arms, and her hair spilling over her neck and shoulder, brushed to the side. The half moon in the distance gave enough light for him to see her muscles flex as she moved over the sand.

As Sakura realized Gaara was at the doorway, she leaned back to look over her shoulder at him. She offered him a small smile, but he said nothing.

Her smile faded, "Is something wrong, Gaara?" He always looked so serious, it was part of what made him attractive. But he was hard to read, and Sakura found it difficult to communicate with him. Perhaps she made him uncomfortable, and if so, she wondered if there was a way to make him feel more comfortable around her. Was it something she was doing wrong? His silence was hard to cope with.

Sakura rose to her feet and dusted the sand from her hands and clothing, stepping back upon the patio. She moved toward the door, and Gaara took a sudden step back, which halted Sakura in mid-step. "Gaara..?"

His expression had changed. It wasn't as controlled as she was used to, but his eyes were fixated on her, though they had widened a moment at her approach. His breathing was more rapid than usual, and she could sense a conflict within him.

She hesitated, and took a few careful steps towards him. It wasn't until she reached out to touch him that he finally spoke, "Stop," was all he could manage before he took a deep breath, then another. He wanted more control over his own body, and that would definitely not happen if she touched him.

Sakura stayed in her position, a mere few feet away from him, and she watched as he closed his eyes for a long moment, then opened them and returned his pained gaze to her. Watching him wage his internal battle made her chest hurt for some reason. Moreover, she wanted to reach out to him, touch him in some way. For some reason, it hurt that he moved away from her.

"She frowned, "I want to help.."

"You can't." He responded with a rasp.

"Why?" She took a slow step forward, reached for him. He froze in place as her hand settled upon his chest, and she felt his heart racing. She blinked a few times, moved her other hand to his cheek, which had become flushed red and hot, and he inhaled another sharp breath of surprise.

Her brow furrowed with worry while his fists clenched and unclenched several times, hanging at his sides. He didn't know what his hands would do if he allowed them to touch her, and that scared him, but that fear was quickly being overrun. "It's okay, Gaara." She leaned up to peer into his eyes, "Look at me, say something. What's wrong with you?" His eyes are beautiful up close, she thought to her self. She was worried, despite the fact that his proximity was starting to sound warning sirens in her head, sirens that she realized were really important as his hands found their way to her hips and pulled her flush against him. "This." He said.

This?! Sakura had no time to contemplate the response. She gasped at the motion, and he took the opportunity to seize her parted lips with his own. Sakura's body stiffened for a moment, shocked at the sudden contact.

His kiss was direct. He pressed his lips against hers firmly. He turned his head for better access, and his tongue darted across her bottom lip before invading her mouth where her tongue had no choice but to combat his. Sakura hadn't even though of it, and she was kissing him in return. She felt his hand at the small of her back, fingers tracing up her spine, fingers running through her hair- and with that she found herself molded against him intimately. His actions screamed desire, and she could feel him hard upon her thigh as her world seemed to spin.

As quickly as it began, it ended, and he extracted himself from her in one movement. She could still smell him, his natural scent and perhaps a hint of sage. It made her head swim, and she stared at him through half-lidded eyes before it truly dawned on her what had just occurred.

Gaara had kissed her. This time it wasn't some awkward untitled situation in the corner of his office, but it was an actual move on her.

She was overwhelmed by sensation. Her heart pounding, her head unwilling to form coherent thoughts, and her stomach doing flips while something deeper seemed to simply.. burn.

Gaara cleared his throat. "I'm going to bed." And the sands took him, leaving Sakura to once again stand alone and confused, and somehow.. wanting something more.


	10. Chapter 10 Building Tensions

[Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm diligently trying to finish this story for you! I have such great ideas. The next chapter is underway and should arrive shortly for your enjoyment! I had more, but my program crashed before I saved the next chapter, so I have to start it over. ;_; It makes me sad, but I'm on it. It's getting easier to flow! Please subscribe and review!

-LovelyWrath]

* * *

Temari was a familiar face across Fire, Rivers, and Wind since the alliance between Konoha had grown so strong. Being the sister of the Kazekage had its advantages. In her presence, even when delivering relatively minor messages and intel, she enjoyed respect. A direct blood relative of the Kazekage and Ambassador were not to be ignored. Temari enjoyed playing messenger between Suna and Konoha, when she might otherwise be stuck in the offices of the Kazekage. Being honest with herself meant that she knew that Gaara sent her to Konoha as frequently as possible to get her out of his hair. She couldn't help but giggle at the thought. Why, just last few days ago she had inquired whether he'd met a nice young lady that he'd like to settle down with. Prompted by his awkward negative response, Temari teasingly offered to set him up on some dates. It wasn't long before she was being ushered out of the office with a sackful of scrolls to deliver to Konoha and Katabami Kinzan, the gold mining village.

Regardless of why she was there, Konoha as a whole always treated her well. The Hokage, Tsunade, always was polite and offered Temari every accommodation that Konoha had to offer. The leaf village was wonderful, filled with many enjoyable restaurants, clothing shops, and fruit- one simply couldn't get fruit as fresh in Suna, since it often took a day's desert trek or more for the merchants to cart it in.

It was a hot day- not the hottest it'd been in years, but hot. It was the kind of heat that sapped the energy of a ninja, and for that reason Temari stopped to rest while crossing the Land of Rivers. Her mission had been simple- deliver documents to the Hokage, retrieve any necessary documents for the Kazekage. Enjoy a day off, then return to Suna.

Temari had indeed enjoyed her day off. She slept in, bought herself a new evening dress hand-tailored by Konoha's finest, and stocked up on bath salts and soaps. She snacked with Tenten, Sai, Rock Lee, and Naruto, who badgered her about Sakura for a half-hour strait. In the afternoon, she found Shikamaru- he wasn't hard to find. It was an unspoken 'thing' for them to meet up and lounge under the big oak tree center of a field just outside of the village. He knew when she was visiting, and he'd just happen to be there. On a good day, Temari'd pick out a restaurant to drag Shikamaru to, then they'd retreat to the guest house that the Hokage had designated as Tsunade's since she visited so frequently. One inside, Shikamaru would waste no time in trying to remove her dressings, while she tried to close the door and draw the curtains. Anything she did that didn't involve wrapping herself around him would be more than 'troublesome'.

Temari couldn't help but get hot and bothered by the mere thought of it all. A half-day's journey ahead of her and she just wanted to turn around and hunt Shikamaru down again. At least she'd be able to return to Konoha soon. Her thoughts turned back to Suna, and the state of things in her absence. Advisors had the tendency to circle Gaara like vultures, trying to manipulate him into giving in to their will. Not all- but some of them. With Temari around, they wouldn't be so bold. She sighed, continuing her journey to Suna.

* * *

Kankuro dropped several scrolls off at the market, to be dispersed by the head merchant there. It was about the tenth ridiculous errand around and across Suna that Gaara had scheduled him to do. Every time Kankuro returned to the main office, he barely got past the front doors before someone loaded him down with assignments that were far below his position. Kanuro didn't often get angry, but the trivial tasks were beginning to grate on his final nerve. Gaara only did this sort of thing when he was angry and didn't want to see someone. Kankuro had seen it before, but had been lucky enough never to have received the treatment himself. What was worse, several employees and even a sleazy adviser or two had snickered at him as he was continually turned away from Gaara's office with academy-level assignments-no, a regular postal delivery could handle these scrolls.

Kankuro slowed his pace, and stomped down the street with a scowl. If Gaara didn't want him around for anything serious, then he wouldn't hurry back to the office. Besides, it was getting late in the day, and he'd not had a good filling meal. This revelation hit him as he rounded a corner and entered one of the main streets. From here, he could see the hospital, and it made him wonder how Sakura was doing since he'd not been asked to check in on her, and he hadn't had the time to outside of his normal duties. In fact, Kankuro hadn't seen Sakura since he left on an out-of-village mission. By the time he returned, it was extremely late, he'd missed dinner, and everyone was asleep. He recalled how eerily quiet his house was that night.

Shrugging, he decided that he deserved a good lunch and good company, and he made his way to the hospital to retrieve Sakura, who without a doubt would be working without regard to her own health.

Shortly Kanuro would find himself wandering the halls of the hospital, until he found Sakura shuffling paperwork from one pile to another on that crowded desk, alone in her designated office. The door was open, and he knocked on the door frame to politely announce his arrival, "Hey, there!"

Sakura's head popped up and she smiled, relieved to see a friendly familiar face. "Oh, Kankuro! I haven't seen you in a good minute."

"I've been busy with missions." Kanuro tried not to frown at the thought of his most recent 'missions'. He didn't come here to vent or be infuriated, he came for a distraction, and Sakura was a good distraction, indeed. "I thought you might want to cut out early today for some chow."

Sakura stood and moved around the desk, made a line for the door, "You couldn't have come at a better time. I can't focus on this right now, and if I see another botched document today I might just lose it."

Kankuro moved aside, but grabbed a sun-blocking cloak from the door-hook and slung it over Sakura's shoulder as she passed. He followed her down the hall as she shrugged into the garment and pulled the hood up. To his delight, she looked very much the Suna regular citizen while swathed in borrowed clothing. It sure beat the tourist look that some visiting shinobi were prone to wear after miscalculating the strength of the desert sun.

"Where to? I don't know where any of the good restaurants are." Sakura admitted.

He chuckled heartily, "Well, you are in Suna, so they're _all_ good. But the best ones are a kept secret, and are a little harder to find." He motioned down the street to the East. "There's a good one close by, though, where the cook always marinates the meat overnight. If you'd been there, I'd know it, because you'd have suggested it first." He smiled over at her, and she smiled back, nodding.

"Let's go, then. I'm famished!."

The early dinner was a welcome treat, and it helped take her mind of of the conundrum that was Gaara. It was nice to go someplace new to eat, though throughout the conversation Sakura could feel the eyes of the workers and other inhabitants of the restaurant upon them. It was to be expected, Kankuro was like a local celebrity, being the brother of the Kazekage. Meanwhile, Sakura stood out like a sore thumb. Their server seemed to know exactly who Sakura was, and asked how her day at the hospital had been. It was a nice experience, and an ego boost to have it reconfirmed that her reputation preceded her.

Kankuro and Sakura took their time with their meal and enjoyed the sweet fruit drinks that were the other staple of one of Suna's best restaurants.

* * *

"Waaaah! Miss Temari!" The girl was a mess, her face drenched in what Temari hoped was mostly tears, but despite her desire to avoid snot, the woman lunged at and finally clung to Temari's arm desperately. For a moment, Temari wondered if someone had died. What could this woman possibly want? Temari looked from the group of women that accompanied the woman, and then back to the weeping mess at her side. It took the shinobi a long moment to recognize the girl as the oldest daughter of one of Suna's wealthiest stationed merchants- Imara. It was very unlike this particular woman to be seen without makeup and with disheveled hair, so something serious must have gone down, Temari concluded.

"Wait. What's going on? I've just returned, so you'll have to fill me in." Temari hesitantly draped an arm around the woman as spectators looked on. It was just past dusk, so the streets were not particularly unpopulated, which made the situation more awkward. Temari patted the woman's back a few times, _there, there_.

"It's.. It's the Kazekage." The statement was enough to make Temari's hair stand on end.

"What about him?" Suddenly serious, Temari found both hands on the woman's shoulders, steadying her as she quaked and cried a continuous stream. "What has happened?"

The woman's lips quivered and she shook her head, forcing the words forth, "He.. he DENIED our m-m-marriage papers at the high office! He refused to sign them! He.. he won't let Asano and I get m-m-m-married!" The woman bawled loudly, and her sister stepped forward to retrieve her as Temari stood in the center of the street, dumbfounded. Temari had to think again, realizing finally that Asano was the son of one of the Kazekage's head advisers. The thought made Temari's head hurt.

Imara's younger sister cradled her, smoothed her hair down, speaking softly, "It's just a misunderstanding, calm down. Don't be a spectacle further.." The sister finally turned her gaze to Temari. "Forgive me for being bold, but I don't know what the big idea is, denying the union, when our families so much invested in Suna and a lot riding on this union. The event is paid for, and has been known for months!"

Temari's hands shot up, defensively, "Wait, wait. I just got back! I've been gone on a mission This is the first I've heard of it, and it sounds like a misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding? The Kazekage has denied several unions and proposals over the past several days, and without reason," a bystander spat from a distance, "It doesn't sound like an isolated issue to me."

Temari felt sick. Whatever was going on was going to be an absolute disaster if she didn't find Gaara and do some crowd control. A crowd gathered before her before she could advance, several concerned citizens coming to the aid of Imara and voicing their opinions. "I'll look into it immediately! Please be patient!" Temari managed before slipping down a side street to make her way to the office, less conspicuously. This would be one of the downsides to being the Kazekage's sister.

She expected to find a crowd at the offices, but found the place eerily empty. A lingering receptionist informed Temari that despite the excess of visitors and concerned citizens, many of which had been turned away, the offices had closed on time, and the Kazekage had gone home.

That was the next stop on Temari's adventure- home.


	11. Chapter 11 Jealous Tendencies

[Howdy! This took awhile to jam out, but it's a nice long chapter. Expect things to start going in a better direction now that Temari and Kankuro have realized what's going on. :) I know it's gotten quite dramatic. In coming chapters, this story will earn the rating I gave it.

-LovelyWrath]

* * *

Temari clicked the door open and slid inside her home, which was quiet, and dark, save for the flickering living room lamp lights. Kicking off her sandals, she wandered toward the light at the end of the hall to find Gaara comfortably stationed in an , a report booklet in one hand, and a half-empty glass of sweet wine in the other. He swirled the liquid around and greeted Temari without even looking up at her.

"Good evening, Temari."

Temari moved to stand before him and tried to stay calm. Instead, she stomped her foot and flailed her arms, "What the heck is going on around here?" She demanded.

Gaara merely peered up from his booklet and eyed her silently. It was all Temari could do not to explode. She took a deep breath and let it all out.

"I leave for a few days, and I come back to some strange chaos! I didn't even get a few steps into the gates before some woman threw herself at me wailing about her marriage papers being denied. And she's not the only one! You denied several unions and contracts over the past several days. I thought something had gone wrong and that I'd find you at the main office, but you weren't there. And the late receptionist told me that the offices had been a madhouse, and that you turned most of the visitors away, again, without reason." Temari's palms were upon her cheeks as she shook her head, "You're my Kazekage, Gaara, but you're also my brother, and everything you do directly affects me. I have to do damage control, constantly. Do you have any idea how horrible it was to be at market square by that woman and her crowd of supporters?"

Gaara frowned, but said nothing. Instead, he took a generous sip of his wine.

Temari felt deflated, "I don't know what has happened, but we'll have to fix it first thing in the morning." He inclined his head in a half-nod and Temari sighed turning to make her way to the kitchen, determined to have herself a glass of that sweet wine to calm her nerves.

"I need a drink.. tell me there's more wine." She said as she slipped into the kitchen.

"On the counter." Gaara replied, reaching up to rub his own temple as soon as Temari was out of sight. It had been a long few days. He'd been driven to distraction, all on his own. He despised himself for lacking control when it came to the pink-haired shinobi. He couldn't keep her off of his mind, and if he didn't stay away from her, he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off of her.

It had already been a rough week. It didn't help that there was an excess of paperwork demanding his attention, and more appointments than he could stand. He found marriage contracts particularly annoying, for reasons that he refused to think about.

He didn't care to see anyone at the office, not even his brother. _Especially_ Kankuro, who always seemed extatic to deliver tidbits of information about Sakura to him. Kankuro was often too-detailed, his perverse side coming out as he rattled on about how talking to the 'smokin' hot' Sakura was one of the brighter points of his otherwise boring routine. Kankuro had playfully dubbed Sakura the _Konoha Cutie_. Gaara originally thought Kankuro would be best to keep tabs on Sakura and keep her out of sight during the day, to avoid distraction. Gaara had once commended himself on hitting two birds with one stone- Kankuro and Sakura seemed to have natural chemistry, so having Kankuro collect all the details of her reports seemed like a good opportunity. It backfired, because as time went on, Gaara found that he couldn't stand the thought of Kankuro watching over Sakura, and had put his brother on other duties, anything and everything to keep him out of Gaara's office _and _away from Sakura.

Gaara found himself confused and unable to find solace in his own home while the source of his frustrations was an honored guest, sleeping in a room just next to his own. He'd gone so far as to avoid the house entirely- he hadn't seen his bed in three nights. He figured that it would be in his best interest to make an appearance when both of his siblings were home, or Temari would surely track him down.

Temari served herself a generous glass of wine, noting that the bottle was then emptied. She surmised that Gaara had already had several servings of wine, which was unlike him.

Gaara was pulled from his thoughts as Temari reentered the living room and collapsed onto the armchair across from him, at the other end of the sofa. She propped her feed upon the ottoman and sipped at her wine, peering over at him curiously. She considered poking Gaara for information, but the sound of keys jingling and the front entrance being opened stopped her from continuing with serious conversation.

Gaara knew they had arrived before Temari, as he felt the sands shift around their home. Temari felt the tension rise as a giggling Sakura tripped into the hallway, followed by Kankuro, who chuckled heartily behind her.

"You're not serious! So she ran away from you? Poor guy!" Sakura poked at Kankuro as she slipped her sandals off and he slipped in front of her with the bags of take-out.

"I am serious! There were _so_ many awkward situations like that. Circumstances were never in my favor." He laughed, but the thought of his teenaged years made him a little uneasy. His team, he and his siblings, had always been close. Whenever the opportunity for romance arose, there were always missions. And then there was Gaara, who managed to frighten off every girl in sight back then.

Kankuro rounded the corner into the living room and grinned widely, "There you are! Glad to see the food won't go to waste!" He lifted the bags and slipped into the kitchen to unload the spoils.

"See? I told you!" Sakura was right behind Kankuro, hands on his shoulders until she gave him a playful shove into the kitchen. They parted ways, and Sakura bounced over to the sofa, closest to Temari, and plopped down. "You're back! I missed you, bestie" Sakura admitted in a sing-song way, giving away that she'd had a few drinks of her own.

Temari couldn't help but notice the air of the room change. The tension in the room thickened, despite the jovial nature of the latest arrivals. She glanced to Sakura, and offered the girl a smile, "I missed you too, Sakura."

"I miss my home, too. Tell me how is my mentor? How's my team?" Sakura leaned over to grasp Temari's arm.

Temari could see Gaara's glare from the corner of her eye, directed at Sakura. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her since she arrived. It was easy to tell that he was unhappy about something, and obvious that Sakura was avoiding looking at him altogether. In fact, Sakura seemed to be completely ignoring Temari's youngest sibling. Temari knew very well that Gaara was not one to ignore- it was one of the things that had gotten under his skin even as a teenager.

"Ah, well. The Hokage is well, and she sends her love. Naruto wouldn't stop asking about you, but he seems okay and enjoying tons of ramen." Temari rattled off name-by-name, trying not to blush as she casually mentioned Shikamaru. ".. and og! Sai is. Well, Sai is Sai. He didn't say much, but he seemed just fine." Temari nodded sagely, and Sakura slumped in her seat a bit.

"Hey!" Kankuro called from the kitchen before appearing in the doorway between the two rooms, only to lean lazily against the door frame. "You guys drank all the wine! What gives? Sure smells good. I want some." He pouted.

Sakura snickered, "You've had your share of drinks, anyhow. You were cut off, remember? Couldn't handle more..."

Kankuro seemed offended, "I was not! And I wasn't done."

"So what, then? Drink yourself into a coma mid-week? And you still wouldn't have won in a contest against me. Bonus! It would be my responsibility to take care of you after you were hospitalized from the failed attempt."

"Well, that actually doesn't sound so bad." Kankuro joked, and wiggled his eyebrows. "Actually, it might give you something _important _to do around the hospital."

Temari was speechless as she glanced back and forth between Kankuro and Sakura. Their drunken exchange was entering the realm of flirtation, and it netted an alarming reaction from Gaara.

"Let me be sure I have this right..." Gaara started, his voice dripping with disgust. The room went silent as Gaara turned his darkened gaze to Kankuro. "You ditched your missions, ignored your orders, and failed to show up at the office to sign out.. and all for a _date_?" He was sure to heavily emphasize the last word.

Both Temari and Sakura bolted upright in their seats, their voices ringing out, "A _**date**_?!" Their harmonious response was followed by the no-less incredulous, "_**What**_?!" from Kankuro.

Gaara flinched slightly, but continued his glare. That's when it clicked for Temari. Gaara displayed all the classic signs of jealousy, and she felt a little ignorant for not putting it together sooner.

"Woah, okay.. calm down.." Temari felt the need to calm the situation that had escalated, before things got too far out of hand.

"No! I've got this one, sis," Kankuro held up a hand and Temari tried to settle back into her own seat, but she couldn't seem to get comfortable. Kankuro waved the empty bottle of wine in the opposite hand, "_**Missions**_?! Since when am I the mail courier of Suna? I spent the entire day delivering tax forms and receipts, and fetching minor contract signatures. I even rush delivered and envelope to a merchant that turned out to be a tax receipt for what amounted to loose change. A receipt, Gaara. For_** change**_." Kankuro took a deep breath and continued his rant, "I endured the comments of everyone I delivered to today. I also enjoyed being laughed at by the receptionists, advisers, that I passed every time I was turned away from the office with a new set of tasks. It felt like a demotion, to be busied with tasks not even the academy trainees are ever asked to do. It was exhausting. I figured you didn't want me around. After I encountered one of the office couriers who'd been given the day off due to no work being available, I figured that was just it. I'd had enough."

Sakura was speechless. Temari reached over to touch the pink-haired shinobi's arm, only to discover that the girl was shaking with rage and confusion.

Gaara shrugged, "You should have checked out instead of gallivanting around." He turned his gaze to Sakura to regard her quietly. "I do hope you enjoyed yourselves."

Sakura didn't know whether to cry or scream- the situation was quite sobering. The accusation of a date and insinuation that something more was going on between them was infuriating and hurtful at the same time. But what right did he have to even bring that up, when all he seemed to be doing was playing games, himself? He was kind to her, then cold. He kissed her, then vanished for days on end. Then suddenly he shows up, only to be angry at his brother for treating her to dinner and seeing to her well-being?

"What's _**wrong**_ with you?" Sakura felt the soft words slide from between her lips. She felt the hot tears begin to flow down her cheeks, but she glared at him nonetheless.

Temari looked from her friend to her youngest brother, then back again. Kankuro watched as well. Gaara's expression softened a degree, but he continued to glare directly at Sakura, who glared back, refusing to lose the staring contest.

Temari stood and pulled Sakura to her feet. "That's enough. It's time to turn in." Temari slid her arm around Sakura and guided her from the room, while the staring contest continued until Sakura was forced upstairs.

Kankuro watched his sister exit with Sakura, then turned his gaze upon his younger brother, who suddenly appeared deflated. "I get it, you know. But I really wish you'd get your shit together, little brother."

Kankuro waited until the girls had vanished up the stairs before ascending to his own room. Gaara sat in silence and finished his wine off, finished his reading, and turned in. Except he wouldn't find a bit of sleep in his own bed, tossing and turning the night through, with the image of Sakura crying plastered at the front of his mind.


	12. Chapter 12 Girl Talk

Thank you for reading! This latest installment is a little behind schedule since I've just started classes again! As promised, I am continuing this story and intend to finish it. Thank you for all of the great comments and keep them coming! It's quite motivating! :) Some of you have noticed my love for the Sand Siblings. As it stands, they will continue to play major roles in this story, rather than just bit parts. Please enjoy! Don't forget to review!

-LovelyWrath

* * *

Guided by Temari, Sakura navigated the stairwell and halls, and was deposited back in her own room, where the blonde woman turned Sakura to face her. As Sakura pivoted on her foot, she lost her balance, only to plop down onto the extremely comfortable bed. Sakura finally exhaled, after what seemed like an eternity. She realized that the present time was definitely the time to hurry to collect her thoughts and try to compose herself, as Temari moved to shut the bedroom door. As Sakura suspected, interrogation immediately ensued.

"Wow that was... extremely awkward, Sakura..." Temari scratched the back of her own head, seeming a bit rattled, and at a loss for how exactly to approach the topic at hand.

Sakura was in no rare form, herself. Everything was a blur beyond Gaara's outrageous accusation that something was going on between Sakura and Kankuro that breached the boundaries of friendship. Sakura was positive that Gaara had been avoiding her- she hadn't sensed him at his own home since the night he kissed her- and she kissed him back. And that kiss, that seemed to come out of nowhere, was no simple kiss, but a kiss riddled with some deep-seeded lust, accompanied by some serious emotions that Sakura couldn't begin to explain when or where they originated. To top it all off, Sakura had been in a state of confusion ever since- she'd been unable to get Gaara off of her mind whenever her mind was free to roam. Sakura knew very well that Gaara was strong, successful, and financially stable- all things a woman looks for in a mate. But Sakura was no gold-digger, and stability wasn't enough by far to satiate her. She also had noticed that Gaara was mouth-wateringly attractive, but had chosen to ignore that fact simply because he was the Kazekage, and it was unprofessional, and possibly disrespectful of her to think of him in that way. However, one kiss had changed that. That kiss spoke volumes of what the man had to offer beyond the obvious. What Sakura couldn't understand was the sudden cold avoidance- Gaara _liked_ being at home, she had observed that much during the first week of her stay. Sakura was beginning to think Gaara believed the whole situation a mistake, and perhaps that was the reason for him avoiding her. That would be a disappointing outcome, but they were both adults, and Sakura could live with that. But tonight... Gaara displayed what could only be described as intense jealousy. If he had no interest in her, why would he be so angry at the prospect of Kankuro spending time with her? What would be the best way to handle this situation? Sakura had never been faced with these sort of issues in the past.

Temari wandered back across the room, and unbeknownst to Sakura, the blonde woman was standing directly in front of her, observing Sakura as she tried to work it all out in her own head. As Temari grew impatient, she waved a hand in front of Sakura's face, "Hellooooooo! Are you with me?"

Sakura snapped back to reality, and stammered uncomfortably, "Ah. Well... I um." She cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, Temari. I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable.."

Temari shook her head, and moved to occupy the nearby desk chair, slouching and watching Sakura closely, "No, it's okay. I knew something was going on the moment I stepped back into Suna." She sighed, reminded of the pile of work to be done the following morning. She poked out her bottom lip, and forced the conversation along in the direction she desired. "Did something happen between you and Gaara while I was away...?"

Sakura's cheeks began to redden and she turned her gaze away from Temari, who's eyes widened. "Oh my... look at you! Something is going on! What is it?" Temari went from a slouching position to teetering on the edge of her seat. This was exciting, after all! Something was going on between Gaara and a woman- and not just _any_ woman, but Sakura! Temari would approve in an instant of that pairing.

Sakura covered her cheeks with her hands and shook her head, "No! Nothing is going on, really..."

"Don't lie to me, girlfriend! It's written all over your face! Also, whatever it is it's serious! Did you see him out there? He's livid that you came home on Kankuro's arm!" Temari knew it was a dangerous thing, Kankuro spending time with Sakura when Gaara had intentions otherwise. As nervous as that situation made her, she still found it delightful that Sakura had managed to get a reaction like that from Gaara in the first place, as cold and complacent as her younger brother could be.

At the same time, Kankuro was a force to be reckoned with when it came to the ladies. He wasn't the most beautiful man in Suna, but he was good looking, humorous, and a smooth-talker. Most women found him easy to get along with, and very easy to trust and get close to. Kankuro was by no means a playboy, but if he intended to court Sakura, it would come naturally to him, where Gaara wouldn't know where to begin. Regardless of whether Kankuro wanted Sakura or not, Temari could see why Gaara would be threatened by their friendship.

"I don't know, Temari..." Sakura was not particularly forthcoming with the details, and it was beginning to drive Temari insane. She decided to push harder.

"Are you attracted to Kankuro?" Temari pried, eyed glued on Sakura, watching her every move. She already knew what would be the most likely response to this question, simply based off of Kankuro and Sakura's reaction to Gaara earlier in the evening.

"Kankuro? What kind of question is that... really." It wasn't a solid no, she knew. Sakura tried not to sound uncertain, but the truth was that Kankuro was very nice to her, and always saw to her well-being. She knew some of the treatment had been ordered of him, but there were occasions when Kankuro went out of his way to check on her. He didn't always have to be so nice to her, but he was, all on his own. She wanted to believe it was because he was a good friend, but that was naïve. Men generally are not excessively so to women they only want friendship from- men generally did things to accomplish their own agendas on the long-term. So as much as they were friends, Sakura knew that Kankuro would accept something more if it were offered. _That's a man for you_. Sakura was very careful of her actions around Kankuro, simply because of this reasoning.

"Ah. I figured as much. Kankuro seemed just as shocked as you at the idea of being on a date with you. Well, what about Gaara, then? How do you feel about the Kazekage?"

Sakura bit her lip, trying to don a poker-face for Temari, but failing miserably. She fidgeted uncomfortably, and reached for a pillow to hug to her. Temari grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"You _are_ attracted to Gaara. And why is that? Did something happen between you two...? And don't look at me like that! I won't leave until I have the juicy details, you know that."

Sakura sighed, and just let it out, "He kissed me."

Temari was nearly floored by this revelation. She slipped from the edge of her chair and had to catch the armrest and right herself again. Clinging to the furniture for dear life, she felt lightheaded for a moment, "He _kissed _you? You're _kidding_! Are you _sure_? _Gaara_? Our Gaara? My littlest brother?" Temari's mind was very nearly blown. "What in the world brought that on?"

Sakura shrugged, quirking a brow at Temari's near disbelief, "I don't know. He hasn't been home since then, until tonight.."

Temari tilted her head, "He's been avoiding coming home. He _always _comes home."

"That's what I thought. It's my fault then.. I should find new lodgings." Sakura's spirit seemed to sink.

Temari frowned, her brow furrowing. For all of Gaara's complications, in the end he was simply a man. It wasn't often that he outwardly showed even the slightest interest in a woman- and Temari had been really watching for it, hoping that someday he would find someone that would make him want to love again. Whatever he was feeling for Sakura, Temari was glad to see some deep human emotion from him. It would be a travesty to let it slip away, and if Sakura left their house, he would definitely see it as a move on her part to nullify whatever was going on between them. "No, I don't think that's the answer, Sakura.. maybe give it a little more time. Gaara's not well-versed when it comes to communicating outside of a professional atmosphere. Besides, he might see it as an insult if you turn down our invitation to stay here." She tried to smile reassuringly as Sakura shot her a questioning look.

"You honestly think this will blow over if I stay here?" Sakura asked.

The blond woman rolled her shoulders, "Maybe it'll blow over, maybe it'll evolve. Who knows." Sakura quirked a brow at the word _evolve_. Of course it wasn't hard to figure out what Temari meant by that. Temari was rooting squarely for Team Gaara.

Meanwhile, out in the hallway, a puppet shifted as it leaned against a bookcase, within earshot of Sakura's bedroom. The puppet seemed to meld into the shadows as it returned to its master nearby. Kankuro found himself feeling a bit disappointed and slightly jealous as he adjusted a joint on his stealthy puppet, the readied himself for bed. He wasn't particularly fond of those who were younger than him, but Sakura was amazing enough to care about regardless of his normal preferences. He washed away his face paint, and took a long look at himself in the mirror. Nodding his approval at the reflection, he retired to the bed to lay and think awhile. Kankuro plotted his next moves, carefully calculating and weighing his options.


	13. Chapter 13 Damage Control

Damage Control

Gaara sat at his desk and tried not to look as exasperated as he felt. After a nearly sleepless night, Gaara had attempted to slip out of the house and to the office without interruption. His mistake was taking a more conventional route, and using the front door instead of leaping from his balcony and allowing the sands to take him away. Temari intercepted him and together they marched right down to the office and dove right into the pending contracts and piles of various paperwork that Gaara had neglected to handle over the previous few days. They'd arrived several hours before any of the receptionists or other workers had arrived to the building. It was a good thing, too- there was a ton of work to catch up on, and revisions to make. Later, there would likely be more damage control to contend with.

For the longest time, Temari stood over him and verbally summarized documents and placed them in front of him to sign. It was all very mechanical, but her constant hovering over him made him feel like a child being punished by a parent, and he'd certainly had his share of that for a lifetime. Still, he remained calm, composed, and cooperated until most of the work had been completed, and he hoped she would cease her supervision of him and, quite frankly, get lost. He would, of course, have no such luck.

The work did little to distract him from his worries, and he found Sakura invaded his thoughts frequently. It was a good thing Temari was there to keep things moving, otherwise it'd be impossible for him to focus on work. He didn't have time to think about Sakura- these thoughts had been getting in the way of everything lately, and he didn't like feeling useless because of it. His priority was his village. But why couldn't he focus on that?

Luckily, Gaara was usually skilled at keeping his emotions in check; except for last night, when everything that had built up over the course of the week caused Gaara to lose his cool. Gaara slumped in his seat ever-so-slightly as he noticed Temari's eyes upon him, and the pregnant silence that had settled over the room. That's when he knew he wasn't getting away with his actions so easily.

"About last night, Gaara," Temari started, moving to sit across from his desk, "I know it's not really my business, but there's clearly something going on that should be addressed."

Unlike Sakura, Gaara stared intensely at his sister- it was one of the few things that still made Temari (as well as countless others in the village) uncomfortable around him. Gaara was intimidating, particularly when he stared. Gaara was hard to read, even for Temari, who'd been around him for all of his life.

With Gaara, Temari always found it best to be as direct and honest as possible. This subject was particularly unusual, though. Temari had never needed to discuss relationships or women with Gaara. Back when he was an adolescent, she'd managed to explain a few vital things about girls to him, but it was all basic, elementary information. To her knowledge, Gaara had never had close relations with any women. She had even pondered whether or not he was asexual, but Kankuro was quick to defend Gaara on that front, claiming that their youngest brother would come around whenever he felt like it, or whenever he found someone actually_ worth_ pursuing. Judging by what Temari was aware of that had transpired in her absence, Sakura was certainly looking like the best prospect to make Gaara come around.

"I know something has happened between you and Sakura." Temari stated, and watched Gaara closely for a reaction.

Gaara sat very still and continued to regard Temari with a blank expression. Temari frowned at him.

"You haven't been coming home, so I assume you're avoiding Sakura. Why?" She continued, expecting some kind of input from her younger brother, though she didn't expect he would be as forthcoming with information as Sakura had been.

Gaara's eyes seemed to narrow on his sister. He wasn't sure how much information Sakura had disclosed, or how much she would want Temari to know. He was well aware of the damages he'd caused by losing his composure the night before, so the last thing he wanted to do was give Temari some private info to run back and interrogate Sakura with.

"Things seemed to be growing overly complicated." He responded, almost coldly.

Temari's frown deepened, "_Complicated_? You mean after you _kissed _her?"

It was Gaara's turn to frown. It seemed Temari had been successful in extracting some key information from Sakura. So the pink-haired girl had confided in Temari. He wasn't overly surprised- it only meant that Temari intended to address the situation more fully. Temari had more ammunition.

Gaara shrugged and settled back into his chair, trying to make himself more comfortable. It didn't work.

With a huff, Temari shook her head at him, "Listen, Gaara. It's not my place to tell you what to do and what not to do regarding women. I try to look out for you as best I can. I know this isn't your dish, so I'm going to say a few things and I want you to listen and think on it." She paused, then continued as Gaara inclined his head toward her, "Kissing a girl sends out the signal that you are attracted to her... However, immediately avoiding her the way you have done will likely make her feel repulsive in some way." Gaara flinched at her words- Sakura was by no means repulsive, and it hurt him to think he'd made her feel this way. Temari continued, "But then last night, you seemed to dislike that Sakura was in the company of another." She avoided calling Kankuro by name, as the situation was complicated enough without adding a brother to the mix to form a triangle. She made a mental note to approach Kankuro on the subject later.

"Sakura is a good girl. She's also talented and beautiful, and she never goes unnoticed. She'd have more suitors if she wasn't so far out of their league." There were other factors, such as her reputation for being one of the Konoha's strongest, and there were many who knew of Naruto's love for Sakura. These things made pursuing her more difficult, sure, but not impossible. "I would suggest that if you actually want to pursue her, you do it, and stop wasting time. Stop giving others the opportunity, and stop damaging things early on by failing to communicate with her properly."

Another not from Gaara and Temari rose to her feet, moving to a cabinet to remove some documents that needed to be proofread. She continued, "You're a good guy, Gaara. You're always thinking of your village and everyone else. You're always about what's best for Suna, and that's great, but it's okay to do something just for _you, _you know." Temari turned toward the door, waving the small stack of paperwork at Gaara, "Today's a half-day, remember? Have a good afternoon, my Kazekage!" Temari exited his office, closing the doors behind her, leaving Gaara to contemplate her words alone.

Temari had been right, of course. Gaara had been avoiding Sakura, and making no end of excuses for doing so. He regretted avoiding her now, and could see how that would make it easier for her to spend time with someone else. But Kankuro didn't normally go out of his way to spend time with one particular woman. It could be simply because Sakura was close to the siblings friendship-wise, but Gaara doubted that accounted for all of his brother's motivation. It was troublesome to think about, but in the end, it would be Sakura who made the decision who she wanted to be with, if anyone. Temari was right- if Gaara wanted to make a move, soon would be the time.

Gaara licked his lips as his thoughts again turned to Sakura, Konoha's pink-haired beauty. Since her arrival, he'd spent every night thinking of her, and some nights even dreaming of her. The memory of her lips and her body against him was enough to drive him near-mad. From there, his imagination would take control- he imagined the skin all over her body to be smooth and soft to his touch, her form pliant and inviting, only for him. More often than not, if he allowed himself to reminisce about that night, he would soon find himself in need of release.

Gaara shook his head and pulled his thoughts away from the physical. It would be impossible for him to court her in any way while being cold to her, and while she was angry with him. Gaara wasn't well-versed in romance, but he wasn't ignorant to all things, at least. He filled out some paperwork to drop off on the receptionist's desk on his way out.


	14. Chapter 14 Competition

Hello again, and thank you for reading! Also thank you to everyone who has taken the time to review. I do read the reviews and I appreciate the feedback!

I apologize for the delays in getting these chapters out. I'm excited to say I've already mapped out the next few chapters and I'm looking forward to getting them posted up for your enjoyment. Please excuse the minor errors in grammar/tense- I will go back through and refine things once the story is complete. Right now I'm concentrating on getting all my ideas typed out so that I don't miss any of the juicy details.

Please continue to read and review! - Lovely Wrath

* * *

Competition

Kankuro's day had been long. He started his day by avoiding as much of Temari in the office as possible while he checked for potential missions. She had some choice things to say, but he wasn't in the mood to be prodded for information. Having eavesdropped on Temari's conversation with Sakura, he already had an idea of what she'd say about him going to see Sakura on his own- she'd be against it. Kankuro didn't need rules dictated to him about his social life, so as soon as the conversation turned from professional to personal, Kankuro made an excuse to be in a rush to leave and made his escape, leaving a confused and perturbed Temari to pout and complain about him to whoever would listen.

It was late in the afternoon when Kankuro had completed his daily tasks and finally arrived at the hospital, popping in on Sakura as per his usual personal directive. Taking the normal path to her designated office, he quickly realized something was different about the hospital. The halls were shining, clean, and the front receptionist's desk had several fancy potted plants arranged upon it- some blossoming cacti and a few native green plants. The atmosphere was more inviting than normal. The receptionist was busy shuffling paperwork, but stopped to eye him curiously, then beam happily at Kankuro as he passed, offering him even a verbal greeting. She seemed to be surprised to see him there, even though he'd shown up frequently as of late. Her smile and greeting came only after she seemed to remember her place.

Taken aback, Kankuro hesitated, then nodded to the young woman before continuing down the hall. He casually glanced in a few of the offices and patient rooms in passing- he could hear patients, family members, and medics alike chatting quietly, friendly. Suna's hospital was generally quiet, and a bit dark, somewhat depressing. It was for that reason that Kankuro had never stayed there for very long in the past, despite his injuries, preferring the comfort of his own home to the smell of chemically treated floors and walls, and the general creepy vibe that he always got from the place of healing.

As he entered Sakura's office, he knocked thrice on the door frame to announce his presence- it was more of a formality rather than a device to announce his presence, one of the many little behaviors drilled into him since Gaara became the Kazekage.

Sakura was standing by the office's narrow window, leaning against the wall and enjoying what was likely the first bit of sunlight she'd gotten all day. She smiled over at Kankuro, who grinned stupidly in return, completely stricken by how lovely she looked. Kankuro tried not to think too hard about why he kept showing up to see her- friendship, enjoying her company, and she was pretty damn good looking. There was a severe lack of beautiful and interesting women in Suna, and Sakura was a definite breath of fresh air in that department.

"Good afternoon.." Sakura offered, a bit surprised to see him, and he could tell.

"Hey, Miss Haruno," Sakura pouted as he neglected to use her first name.

"I'm surprised to see you here, today. After last night." She was quick to bring up the subject. It saddened Kankuro, because he didn't want to spoil the mood talking about his little brother's behavior during the day when they'd likely face him again at home in the evenings.

"Aw. That's just Gaara. He can be pretty prickly.." Kankuro's voice faded as his eyes shifted from Sakura to her desk, where a particularly fabulous collection of flowers in an expensive looking vase rested. Kankuro was traveled enough to know that those particular flowers were indeed not native to the dry desert lands around Suna, but were very likely from a much cooler, moist climate- somewhere like Konoha. He sauntered over to her desk to inspect the magnificent arrangement more closely. It was colorful, gorgeous, and also it took up almost ¼ of her desk space with it's magnificence. There was a little clip where a card had been, which made it apparent that she'd not ordered the flowers herself, but they were sent to her.

"You've gotten popular..." Kankuro thought aloud.

"Oh, those... yes. I guess they are supposed to serve as an apology for last night, courtesy of your brother. Aren't they the most excessive thing you've ever seen?" Sakura didn't really know what to think of the flowers, or the sealed letter that was delivered with them. It was a simple enough apology, but Sakura had been informed that the Kazekage rarely hand wrote messages to anyone outside of his family. Every scroll she'd ever seen from the man had been dictated, typed, and stamped. It struck her as being extra personal, besides the fact that he'd apparently sent someone out to locate flowers from Konoha's region.

Kankuro marveled at the fact that Gaara had sent flowers to Sakura- he couldn't wrap his head around it. It even made him start to feel a little guilty for coming to see her, but only for a moment. "So.. I take it he's responsible for the arrangements up front as well?" Sakura stepped over close to the desk as Kankuro fished for more details, evaluating the depth of the situation.

She blushed. _Excessive _wasn't even the word for it- Gaara's action was in a league of it's own. To send flowers as an apology was one thing, to fill every room in her work environment with arrangements was something else entirely, and it wasn't lost on Sakura or Kankuro. "Yes, I guess so. They were delivered several hours ago, all at the same time." Sakura had signed her name on the dotted line to accept she thought was one small vase of flowers, only for the delivery boys to start hauling in flowers and cactus arrangements by the armload- every patient room had it's own unique decoration. Sakura didn't have the chance to hide the letter with the Kazekage's seal from the receptionist, so rumors were already flying around the hospital- everyone knew the flowers were from the Kazekage, and the staff had easily surmised by the arrangement on Sakura's desk that it was _all _for her.

Kankuro watched as Sakura blushed deeply, then he burst into laughter, unable to stop himself. This made Sakura grimace at him, and he waved his hand in the air, "Ah, I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm not laughing at you, really." Kankuro lowered his voice, leaning toward her, "I'm laughing because with Gaara, it's always in extremes. He's just _**that **_socially awkward." She continually frowned at him, "Don't get me wrong, Sakura. He's my bro, and I care, but I like to face the facts." Kankuro grew serious, suddenly, "It seems he's serious about you."

Sakura turned away from Kankuro, "Don't be ridiculous. Really, he wasn't pleasant last night. Clearly he wants to repair that before I send a report back to the Hokage this week." She nodded firmly, and Kankuro shrugged.

"If you say so." Kankuro continued to grin at Sakura, which made her nervous.

Kankuro lounged against Sakura's desk, reaching out to touch the most brilliant and central flower in the arrangement. It reminded him that though the flora of warm seasons could be beautiful, they were fleeting. Always with the change of season came the fall festival, a last hoo-rah as they departed from summer. It was a celebration that Kankuro enjoyed, but always ended up alone during most of the festivities, regardless of whether he brought a date.

Kankuro stroked a single pink flower petal before plucking it. He idly recalled for a moment a mission his team had undertaken during his teen years. Temari was always a fan of beautiful flowers. He'd once caught his sister plucking the petals from a flower, one by one, and reciting to herself '_he loves me, he loves me not_,' until she'd plucked the flower bare, blushing and giggling at the silly girl tradition. Of course, he'd made the critical mistake of later teasing her about it, but only the one time- Temari was not one to screw around with, and delivered her point wrapped in a fist.

"... what's on your mind, Kankuro?" Her voice brought him back from his thoughts. Kankuro lifted his gaze to Sakura, who was studying him as he'd gotten lost in his thoughts.

"Sakura. Would you like to go to the fall festival with me?" He hadn't planned it, and he would admit to himself later that it was downright scary. The words simply came out of his mouth before he really thought about it. Caught in a moment staring over at Sakura, Kankuro began to blush himself- Sakura had never seen such from him before. There was a long silence as Sakura slowly processed his request, and Kankuro waited, staring at what he only just realized might be the most beautiful woman to ever give him the time of day.


	15. Chapter 15 Losing a Battle

Yes, I am still working on this story! Please subscribe and check back! Please read and review. Upcoming chapters to contain... a lot of spice. :)

-LovelyWrath

Sakura did her best to stifle the shocked expression, but even if that endeavor had been successful, her hesitation to answer him immediately made him more and more curious about what exactly had been going on in her head, about him, about his brother- about everything. His expression remained the same as he observed her, and the silence grew. She looked away, then back to him, with a sort of helpless sadness that somehow made his heart ache.

"So... this feels like a no." Kankuro said finally, and she again tore her gaze from his, looking to the flower arrangement on the desk, then to the vase, and a card tucked under the edge of the container. He followed her gaze, and moved to reach for the folded card. Sakura seemed to snap out of her thoughts, and tried to snatch the card from his reach, but she was too late.

He didn't know how he'd missed it before- it obviously had the Kazekage's personal seal on it. He fingered the fine paper material and opened the card.

"Listen, Kankuro. It's not that I wouldn't love to go with you to the festival..." Sakura bit her lip as he read the contents of the card before flinging it back onto the desk. Kankuro smirked and chuckled deeply, then shook his head at her. It seemed that his little brother was more cunning than expected, and had blocked any potential interference by Kankuro... by assigning Sakura as an esteemed honored guest of the Kazekage to the festival.

This was an interesting turn of events. Gaara had staked his claim on Sakura without defining his feelings for her to anyone. To Gaara, this might seem like a small victory, but this move really struck Kankuro as something else entirely. Was Gaara really just using his power and position to manipulate the game in his favor? It seemed to Kankuro, that in order to fight this battle, he would need to further expose himself, while Gaara could play the game from an invulnerable position, hiding behind the seal of the Kazekage.

"I'm sorry." Sakura said, finally, almost meekly.

"It's fine, I somewhat expected as much." Kankuro said.

"Somewhat?"

"I'm going to ask you some things, and I want you to be completely honest with me." Kankuro started, stepping closer to the pink-haired girl. She nodded at him, trying to ignore his sudden closeness.

"My brother, Gaara.. Are you attracted to him? Do you have feelings for him?"

At Kankuro's direct approach, Sakura's jaw fell, and she shrunk back to sit on the table. She shook her head, "He's the Kazekage. I have a professional respect and admiration for him."

Kankuro seemed slightly disappointed. He didn't believe her, but at the same time he was more interested in how she would answer the next questions, "Well, in that case... what do you think about me?"

All too suddenly, he was leaning in, staring her in the eye. Sakura swallowed, trapped between Kankuro and the desk. Kankuro was harmless, right? She felt her cheeks burning red at the thought of her feelings toward either of the brothers, and the potential of their feelings toward her. Both of them. The thought was dizzying. Kankuro's proximity made her frighteningly aware of his size, strength, and scent- he smelled faintly of sandsoap and mint.

He grinned wolfishly at the pink-haired girl, "Don't you find me charming? Irresistible?" And with that the spell was broken, and Sakura shoved him a bit too roughly away. All seriousness gone, she frowned at him before retrieving the invitation to the festival, tucking it away in her clothing.

"Geeze, Kankuro. Stop playing around so much.." This didn't make her happy. She'd been completely thrown off and confused, but then suddenly he'd let on that he might be playing with her. If this was a joke, it wasn't funny. Sakura wasn't going to be someone's entertainment.

"Who said I was playing?"

If Sakura's cheeks were red before, she was sure that her entire face must be lit up by this point. She could feel the blood rushing to her head, the heat from her face. She shoved him again.

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden? What do you really want?" She questioned, narrowing her gaze on him and trying to remain cool. Kankuro had a reputation that was no secret, but at the same time he was her friend, right? She couldn't figure out his motives. Was he in fact attracted to her, or was he treating her like any other woman- a conquest? That would be a violation of their friendship, most certainly. Temari would have a farm if she thought for a second that Kankuro had such intentions toward Sakura.

He smirked, shook his head. He wasn't really sure where it was all coming from, himself. Sakura was attractive, sure. She was a damn fine ninja, intelligent, and interesting. She was quite a catch, he had to admit, but where he was concerned, he wasn't entirely sure of why he felt the urge to pursue her this way, to immediately corner her, and make her uncomfortable. He did feel a twinge of jealousy when he thought of his little brother pursuing Sakura. At the same time, he knew that such a relationship was a very big risk for the Kazekage- what if she hurt him, what if he hurt her? He recalled originally thinking that if Gaara wanted her, he'd better damned well be sure of it, and want her enough to put up a good fight. Dating games were one of Kankuro's strong suits, but even he had to admit there was much more to his own pursuit of Sakura than just that.

"I wonder what it is that _you_ want." And from _who_, was another thought. Kankuro didn't have to try to be cool- he was. The heat from her stare didn't phase him outwardly, though there was a sharpness to it that made him bite the inside of his cheek. It left his stomach unsettled.

Indignant at his continued smirking, Sakura crossed her arms and stood her ground- this was _her _office, after all. "Who says I want anything at all? You're the one that keeps showing up, and keeps asking bizarre questions all of a sudden. It seems to me that you're the only one that wants something here."

"Ouch." Kankuro had lost this round, and the smirk was wiped clear off his face. He'd lost the moment Sakura had broken the seal on that card, and there truly was no reason for him to stay and fight it out further tonight. This was exhausting.

Sakura sighed, moving to grab her jacket from the coat rack nearby. But as she turned while putting it on, Kankuro was making a line for the door before she could say more. Taken aback, she called out to him, "Wait, Kankuro, don't leave on a note like that. Let's walk home and talk.."

He stopped in the doorway to eye her warily over his shoulder. Why did she have to be so damned pretty? Why did she have to look so concerned as she directed that lovely green gaze directly at him? With Sakura, it wasn't just a game. It wasn't just fun courtship. Hell, he wasn't even sure he could revert back to just being friendly and looking out for her. It was far too damned easy to get caught in the undertow of emotion and desire when it came to Sakura, to trying to do whatever it was Kankuro was trying to do now- he himself had lost track.

"I have a few things to finish before heading home, really. It's okay. I asked you out and I got shot down. I'm a big boy, I can handle it." He nodded at her and made his exit.

"I didn't mean to be cold..." Sakura took several quick steps to the doorway and out into the hall, but he was gone so fast. Her voice trailed off as she stood there in the hallway, blinking. A medical ninja in training exited one room and paused to observe Sakura, who finally shrugged the rest of the way into her jacket.

"I'm going home for the evening." The pink-haired woman said as she brushed past the other ninja.

She walked home slowly. Home- the home of the sand siblings where she'd been given a room. She'd gotten herself so entangled with the brothers lately that she didn't entirely know how to feel about staying with them. And Temari, as always, would be all-too-interested in the juicy details of Sakura's personal life. Temari was already like a sister, so if Sakura became her actual sister through marriage, it wouldn't be much of a change.

The thought not only made Sakura blush again, but stopped her in her tracks. Who exactly was she thinking of in the case of marriage? Shaking the thought away, she detoured for a snack- ramen. Ramen reminded her of Naruto, of the Leaf, and of home. Despite the nostalgia, maybe it would allow her time and peace to sort through her own thoughts and emotions. She was wrong, of course- she couldn't get Gaara out of her head, and Kankuro as well. She could still imagine the feel of Gaara's lips on her own, and the feel of his body against hers. Just as she shook that memory, she was bombarded with the thought of Kankuro, his serious stare, and his intrusive, yet halting proximity to her earlier- the lingering scent of mint and sandstone that she could almost swear that she could still smell, even over the ramen. In the end, she was no closer to solving the mysteries of her own emotions, let alone the intentions of the men in her life. If anything, the more she thought about them, the more confused she became.

Ramen led to more ramen and a few drinks, and several hours passed before Sakura realized how late in the evening it had gotten. Suna was almost more active at night than it was during the day, so the noodle shop keeper never even hinted once at closing, as patrons came and went in a constant flow. She paid the shop, and thanked the cook kindly. With a full belly and the alcohol-induced mellow in her possession, she decided to take a long walk before heading home.

As she exited the small restaurant, she noticed how clear the sky was. Indeed, it was the perfect night for a walk. Idly, she wished the stars could guide her out of her cloud of confusion and to the right path.


	16. Chapter 16 An Honored Garment

"I think you're thinking too hard about this." Temari said, leaning against the very clothing rack that Sakura was tearing through- a rack of mid-to-formal dresses and gowns. "It's just a festival, really."

It wasn't that Sakura couldn't find anything she liked, any of these items would be acceptable for a nice date or a wedding... but there was nothing that stood out as something she should wear while representing Konoha. There was nothing that she felt she could wear as an honored guest of the Kazekage. Her mind was clearly broken from the stress of it all, and she hyperventilated. Just a bit.

"Woah, step away from the clothes, and take a deep breath." Temari intervened and slid her arm around Sakura and turned her away from the rack and led her across the store to the courtesy sofa near the dressing room. "Here, have a seat."

So Sakura did sit, putting her hands on her own cheeks and shaking her head.

"This is intense, Temari."

"It's not! Really. What would you wear to a festival in Konoha? It's that simple, really." It wasn't quite that simple... after all, Gaara had granted Sakura a title, and as such it would bring her under the spotlight. People would stare at her, judge her, and talk about her, and more than they already did what with her being a forign face and already getting fine treatment in Suna. Temari fully understood where Sakura was coming from in the stress department, and it was all the fault of her little brother, Gaara.

Why would he do such a thing without consulting his older sister on the matter? Temari was a little miffed and a little angry about it. Naming Sakura an honored guest was within reason considering her assistance to Suna and her position in Konoha. After all, Konoha had sent one of it's finest.

Still, the invitation was so unlike Gaara. Through the grapevine, Temari had heard all about it- who in Suna hadn't? The Kazekage can't send flowers to a woman without the world finding out about it, after all. That was big, big news. Sakura was already in the eye of the storm, having been invited into the Kazekage's own home.

People talked. The citizens often gossiped without reason at all. But now they weren't simply sleeping under the same roof- he was sending her flowers and giving her titles all of a sudden. What prompted it? Since she hadn't had the chance to privately call out Gaara on the matter, she turned her attention back to Sakura. Perhaps there was something Temari was missing.

"Did something happen?" Temari asked, innocently.

"What? No, not really. Just the flowers. Kankuro has been looking out for me lately... so it was a little embarrassing when he stopped by yesterday, and the flowers and invitation... ugh."

Temari quirked a brow. Kankuro was still visiting Sakura frequently. That would get under Gaara's skin if he was in the least attracted to Sakura.

"Embarrasing? Most women would be delighted and honored..." Temari couldn't wrap her head around the statement.

Sakura looked up at Temari, who'd taken to pacing back and forth. "Well, it shouldn't have been, but Kankuro asked me to the festival.. as his date. And the invitation was on my desk. He found it pretty quick." Sakura shook her head, not wanting to think about it, "It was awkward."

Lightbulbs went off above Temari's head. Kankuro had asked Sakura out! So he did have intentions towards their pink-haired visitor. And Gaara had either anticipated this and acted to thwart him, or her youngest brother had accidentally and luckily acted in a way that protected his chances of succeeding. This was pretty juicy stuff, and it was all Temari could do not to dance around in excitement.

This was a real battle for Sakura's affections. How exciting! And between Temari's own two brothers, no less. She knew she shouldn't be amused by this, but none-the-less she was! She couldn't help but think it would be pretty awesome to have Sakura around on a permanent basis, and potentially earn herself a sister-in-law! Those would be complicated matters in Gaara's case, considering his position, but not so much in Kankuro's. Temari felt a little dizzied by the thoughts. Oh, but the fun was just beginning. Secretly, she rooted for Gaara, as it wasn't often that her youngest sibling made a romantic advance.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Sakura. Clearly everyone adores you..." Temari giggled, moving to sift through some hanging kimonos, which were very popular for the fall festival. Temari had a soft spot for kimonos.

"It's not as fun as you make it sound.." Sakura muttered, perking up as something caught her eye in the rack Temari had turned her attention to.

"Wait... wait. What was that?" The pinkette rose to her feet and hurried over to Temari, sliding between the blonde woman and the rack and plucking a kimono from the collection. Temari stepped aside and let Sakura raid the clothing. Temari hadn't seen anything that suited her own fancy to wear, so she wasn't particularly excited about shopping for herself. But shopping for Sakura was another matter entirely.

Temari stared at the garment as Sakura held it up to examine it. It was an absolutely breathtaking black Kimono with a smattering of red flowers fluttering up from the hem of the garment, a gorgeous, hand painted print. The obi was red and gold.

Sakura held it against her and Temari felt herself falling in love with the look on Sakura. Her pale skin would go so well with the black and red design, and her hair would contrast nicely, making her stand out- not that she needed the help.

Temari realized that the flowers and belt were the exact same shade of red as one of Gaara's formal kimono and hakama- his favorite. He always paired it with black garments beneath. If Sakura wore this, they would look like a match made in heaven in coordinated colors.

"Sakura... that's the one." Temari said with a sigh. Sakura nodded in agreement. It wasn't in her usual taste, but it was gorgeous. She reached for the price tag, but Temari snatched and severed the tag before Sakura could get a look at it.

"Hey!" Sakura started.

"No, no. This bills to my house. You're a guest, remember? An honored one." Temari knew the hand-painted, one-of-a-kind design was going to cost a fortune, but it was Gaara's demand that he be billed for the item, and in this case, he would recieve his money's worth tenfold.

As Temari signed the bill, she glanced over at Sakura, who was admiring a kanzashi hair pin adorned with onyx stones, in the formal glass case. Temari smiled, and penned a note to the cashier, folding it and sliding it to her. "Understood," said the young woman behind the counter. Temari approached her pink-haired friend, holding the bag with the kimono out to Sakura, who took it and held it close, "Thank you, my friend." Sakura said with a smile.

"No, thank you, my friend." Temari responded with a grin. She couldn't wait to see this play out.

Sakura quirked a brow. Was it just her imagination, or was Temari acting strangely?

They made their way out of the shop and toward home, window shopping and chatting all the way.


	17. Chapter 17 Another Kiss

_Update: Sorry about the previous version, I can honestly say I have no idea what happened other than an earlier version got added to a newer version, just pasted on the top? Or something. Either way, I've reuploaded the newer version and it seems to be working now. Thanks for letting me know!  
_

_-LR_

* * *

_The Next Evening..._

Gaara was alone with his thoughts, as he often found himself at the end of the work day. He'd meandered home early, only to find a delicate box placed on his dresser. It wasn't entirely unusual for him to receive gifts from admiring women, but generally these gifts weren't delivered to his home, and definitely not inside his home- that would be a breach of privacy and security. Even so, he lifted the light box and opened it carefully to reveal the glass kanzashi pendant within. It was an intricate, magnificent piece for its small size, and it the way it captured even the slightest bit of light and glittered attractively was somehow mesmerizing to him. The glass and onyx stones were immaculate, and each crystal petal faded from clear to an intense crimson. It was gorgeous, but it's placement didn't make sense. There was no note or writing on the box, he noted. Perhaps it was meant for Temari, Gaara mused silently. It was after all, a woman's accessory.

He tried to ignore the thought that perhaps an admirer had sent it for Sakura, but that possibility was too intensely angering. He closed the box as he sensed Temari's return, and he placed it back on the dresser, moving to take a seat on his sofa and attempt to relax.

Gaara felt himself deflate internally as Temari approached his bedroom knocked. He cleared his throat and offered the affirmative to enter, as it would have been futile to do otherwise; Temari would have been angered and come right in regardless of his response.

Temari slipped in, shutting the door behind her, absolutely unable to stifle her grin. Judging by her demeanor and expression, Temari had heard it all, and likely she'd heard all the embellished descriptions of Gaara sending Sakura flowers, the invitation, and all the exaggerations that come with gossip and hear-say smattered with just a smidge of truth. The cherry on top was that Gaara had come home and waited there for the family- and Sakura- to arrive, despite his behavior during their last attempt at having dinner together.

Gaara tried to appear relaxed, seated on his sofa, as he awaited the onslaught sure to befall him at the hands of his dear, loving sister. That was when he noticed the long garment bag at her side, which she carried oh-so lovingly.

"Hello, Gaara." Temari seemed to have a skip to her step as she approached him.

"Hello." He offered back, simply, turning to eye her possession. "What's all this?"

"Well, dear brother. I took the liberty of laundering your favorite set.." She opened the bag enough for Gaara to see the top of his formal attire.

Gaara quirked a brow, rising to his feet at the newfound level of discomfort of her invasion of his room. Temari moved to his closet to replace the garment to its rightful place. "I don't need help getting dressed for events, you know," he explained. The last thing he wanted was to regress to a point where Temari was still trying to clothe him. He was a grown man, after all!

"Aww... don't get defensive, dear brother. I'm only trying to set you up for a victory." She moved closer to him, passing the dresser, then hesitating as the package caught her eye. Sweeping the box up, she smiled sweetly to Gaara.

"I was with Sakura today..." Temari trailed off, in a truly uncharacteristic sing-song voice.

Gaara stared at her for a long moment before replying, as she seemed to so desire, "So what?"

Temari frowned as she moved towards him, then plopped down on his sofa.

"You're absolutely no fun, you know? I thought you'd be pleased." Temari shrugged.

Gaara sat down next to her and she smiled once again.

"Pleased about what? You invade my room while I'm gone, take my belongings without permission, and plan out my attire? That's supposed to please me?"

"Come on. You don't even know whe whole story! I went shopping for something nice to wear to the festival with Sakura. She's excited and nervous about the whole thing, and almost seems to have forgotten your previous transgressions in light of it, but I think this.." Temari popped the box open to again reveal the crystal kanzashi pendant, "Well, I think you should give this to her. And I think you should wear what I've picked out."

Gaara reached out for the item but Temari held it from his reach. Gritting his teeth, "Why?"

"Because you look best in them. Because she's going to be wearing your colors, too. Because I think it's a good idea. And also because this caught her eye while shopping... think of what a thoughtful gift it will make?" Temari smiled, Gaara grimaced, just slightly, crossing his arms.

"Your schemes are bothersome, you know?"

"Oh, fine. If you want to do it your way, then do. But I'm a girl, and a girl knows best what a girl wants.. have I ever steered you wrong?" She closed the box and held it out to Gaara. He took it from her, frowning still.

She smiled to him, her non-scheming, non-tactical little brother. After all, he was still just that, her -little- brother. In any regular circumstance, he'd lose the war against a seasoned courting veteran like Kankuro, but with a little support, Gaara's genuine qualities would shine through and win, Temari was sure of it.

"I'll try not to meddle anymore, Gaara. I promise." Temari stood and moved to the door. Gaara eyed the dainty gift box cradled in his palm before looking towards her.

"Thank you, Temari," was the last she heard before closing the door behind her. She left the house, he noticed, which wasn't odd- Temari was always up to something. The sands alerted him to all the comings and goings at his home, and both Temari and Kankuro led very busy social lives, so it was nothing out of the ordinary for them to be in and out of the house at any given time.

Gaara glanced around his empty room, then stood, moving to his balcony doors. Once outside, he enjoyed the cool breezes brought in on the fresh, young evening. It helped him to clear his mind of the clutter and focus on what he wanted most to... Sakura.

Despite being in a foreign place, away from family and close friends, and despite being pursued in this situation, she'd still accomplished so much. She was a fine shinobi. She was a constant in a changing world- someone trustworthy, hard-working, and beautiful. She had no smudges on her record, unlike himself. She was intelligent, charming, beautiful, and absolutely worth pursuing. The question was, however, was Gaara the one that should be doing it.

If he had to be absolutely truthful with himself, it wasn't his lack of experience courting or social experience in general that really held him back from pursuing her. It was this idea that he was tainted and unworthy of the kind of companionship that he would be pursuing. He thought he'd gotten past his hangups on love, but clearly this wasn't so.

Gaara found himself wondering what she really thought of him. There were still a great many of his own people who looked upon him fearfully, remember what he once was. It was his belief that there were few people in general who were able to separate what he once was from who he had become, or who he strove to be. He spent nearly half of his life being a menace, a monster, a murderer. That's difficult to erase, despite the good deeds he'd accomplished since. He'd never erase that, he knew. And worse, he realized that many of his thoughts and actions previously were self-centered and driven by greed. Gaara realized that he was still a self-centered and greedy man in many ways, and he wondered if it would even be fair to pursue a woman such as Sakura without knowing whether he'd be able to open up to her, to trust her and love her as much as she deserved. And would she fully trust him? What was a relationship without these things?

Leaning on the railing he felt someone approach his home, but didn't need a visual to know that it was Sakura. She'd not been in Suna for too long, but somehow it felt as though she belonged here. She was someone he could look forward to seeing at the end of each day... the thought occurred to him before he'd even had the chance to think it through. He could see her pink hair as she approached the front door, and he tried not to stare long at her figure as it approached. He'd been told it was inappropriate to stare, and the more he stared, the more his thoughts, too, turned inappropriate.

Sakura approached the door to the house, fumbling for her keys. The sun had recently set, so she wasn't so late, though she'd taken her time running some personal errands before returning home. Idly, she wondered if Gaara would be there this evening, and suddenly felt as though eyes were upon her. She stopped in her tracks, glancing around, but saw nobody. She turned her gaze to the balcony area of the home, but as it seemed nobody was there, she shrugged and fished the keys from her bag. One last glance was given the balcony before she turned her key in the door and was inside the sanctity of the sand siblings' home for the evening.

"I'm home" She said softly to the darkened house. It was really for her own amusement that she did so, never did she get a response, nor did she expect to. Gaara would probably be out all night, and there was no telling where Kankuro and Temari were this evening. They'd likely be home shortly, but the dark, empty house made Sakura again realize just how alone she truly was, in Suna, and in life. Despite always having friends and admirers, Sakura somehow always found it easy to feel lonely. In addition to that, she was tired and stressed- she was accustomed to long work shifts, but she wasn't used to quite the level of attention she'd been getting lately.

She slipped off her shoes and kicked them aside, fumbling her way down the hall. She had missed the first light switch and was trusting her memory to make it to the next one. As she neared the stairwell area, she thought she heard movement, but chalked it up to her own imagination. As she rounded the corner where the stairs were and began to reach for the light, instead of taking three more strides to the switch, she ran face first into a firm, warm wall of person.

"Aaah!" She stumbled back and tried to regain her balance, tripping over her own feet. With both alarm and relief (imagine that!) she found her fall stopped from behind. Warm hands found her own and pulled her right again. The light switch was flipped on by sand, which had snaked up through the unseen cracks and crevices in the home. As her eyes adjusted, she the realization of her situation hit her full force- Gaara had caught her and was holding her. She turned beet red and extracted herself from him quickly, righting herself several feet away. Gaara watched her with a quirked brow.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to run into you like that. I wasn't paying attention." Sakura sputtered out. She should be attentive at all times, given her occupation, and the embarrassment of the fact that she was clumsy wasn't lost on her.

Gaara had come downstairs to greet her, but hesitated. He was no more graceful in this situation, and was too busy internally blaming himself for it all to really think it through.

"It's fine. I was just coming downstairs to eat." He glanced around, "You're just getting home." It wasn't a question, but a statement. To her, it almost seemed as though he were disappointed by that fact. He looked away from her.

Sakura nodded, "Yes. I brought some rolls, but I'm guessing they're not home yet?"

Gaara shook his head.

"Well, I can heat these up if you're interested. I got vegetable rolls and pork as well. They smelled really good at the shop so I couldn't help myself." Sakura rambled a bit, though grateful for her own distraction.

Gaara simply nodded his head once and Sakura seemed to catapult herself into the kitchen. Gaara took a deep breath- last time they were alone in such a situation, he'd forgotten himself. It seemed as though when they were alone, something compelled him to close the distance. It wasn't something he had experience with, or something he'd planned. It just happened. He wanted to be near her, and that's why he assumed he found himself in the small kitchen with her, posing the awkward question, "Is there something I can help with?" His eyes, of course, were on her- he couldn't look away. She was startled that he'd followed her in, but she still managed, "If you want, we'll need something to drink. Please." This was awkward, she thought. Idly she wondered if it were ever proper to ask the Kazekage to prepare drinks, in any situation.

Luckily, her back was turned and she was heating up rolls. Luckily she didn't turn to face him as she removed plates from the cabinet, and he stepped up behind her, reaching over her to open a high cabinet just as she stepped back and found her back flush against his front side. She gasped and threatened to falter, but his free hand found the soft skin of her shoulder, and steadied her as he retrieved two glasses.

Instead of looking up, however, his gaze still remained locked upon her. He stared at her shoulder, and his gaze travelled up her neck, admiring the exposed, pale flesh there. It was all he could do not to brush aside her hair and lean in to begin with, but when she tilted her head and caught his gaze with her own, he almost lost his cool. They were trapped there for several seconds. She licked her lips. He somehow remained calm on the exterior, gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and stepped away finally to fetch and pour some juice for the both of them, unsure of how he'd do so when he felt shaken down to his soul. He managed to quell any external trembling, trying to concentrate on his task. "Glass. Juice. Pour. Stop. Glass. Juice. Pour. Stop. Don't look at her. Stop thinking about her lips," Gaara struggled with himself, internally.

The contact had felt like an eternity to Sakura. She'd been frozen in place long enough, but just as the heat from his body made her instinctively want to lean back into him. Just as she sure she was about to do just that, she looked up at him, and was lost in his gaze. Suddenly she was more thirsty than ever, lips parched. She'd licked her lips, and his expression flinched, so slightly. He seemed tortured. Then he'd stepped away, and she'd snapped out of that trance. What was she thinking?! And why was she so unable to control her body in his presence now? Her heart raced continually and she silently pleaded with it to please calm. She leaned on the counter, for otherwise, she would surely hit the floor. Carefully, she went about her task, as normally as possible. "Plate. Napkin. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Wait. Who eats that many rolls in one sitting? Calm down, Sakura," she thought to herself.

His intention hadn't been to pin her between himself and the counter, but he had approached her so quickly, seemingly beyond his own control, that he hadn't time to prevent it. It was as though his mind wasn't even mostly in control of his own body. He'd screwed things up already and he hadn't even been alone with her for more than ten minutes. Still, he couldn't dismiss from his mind the way she looked up at him and licked her lips. He felt something tighten below and forced himself to think of other things. Perhaps being alone with her was more dangerous than he anticipated. It wouldn't take much more for him to pin her against that counter with a more carnal deed in mind.

It was then that Gaara felt a presence approach. His mind a muddle, he hoped for a moment that it would be Temari. He would welcome her meddlesome presence if for no other reason than to distract him, and help him control himself. But Gaara never was the luckiest sort, and his first choice wouldn't arrive to save the day.

"Hey you guys!" Kankuro called out cheerfully from the entryway.  
Gaara could sense it long before Sakura peered around the kitchen doorway to greet a grinning Kankuro, and got a whif of sake. Kankuro had had a few too many, and perhaps that's why, in that moment, Kankuro chose to lean in a little too close to Sakura, and plant a kiss directly upon her.


End file.
